


Take me to Wonderland

by wellthizizdeprezzing



Series: Wonderland Adventures [1]
Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Adventure, Alice in Wonderland References, F/F, Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Journey, Romance, Subtext, meaning behind words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-08-21 04:25:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16569629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellthizizdeprezzing/pseuds/wellthizizdeprezzing
Summary: Akko goes chasing after a rabbit and Diana goes chasing after her, only to end up in a world of nonsense and nonexistent logic; Diana's two most hated nemeses. Diana now has to find Akko and get the two of them out of there without losing her wits, but she can't do it unless she first comes to terms with something very important regarding the friendship between the two of them.





	1. Don't Run Little Rabbit

* * *

_And if you go chasing rabbits  
_

_And you know you are going to fall_

_Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar has given you the call- White Rabbit, Jefferson Airplane._

* * *

After they had successfully saved the world from Croix's death missile of doom, the heroic girls of Luna Nova found themselves with a mini vacation brought on by the school. It was a week of celebrations, meant to celebrate the fact the world had been saved, that no one had lost a life, and it also gave the school staff time to clean up and fix the issue with the wane magical sources on campus. Thus classes were canceled and mini dances and buffets were organized for the students who congregated and congratulated all those involved in the saving of the world scheme.

With the exception of Diana, who of course offered to help the teachers in their arduous task, the rest of the girls were taking the chance to indulge in some down time. That became harder to do for Akko because of her sudden rise to stardom.

Akko wasn't used to all this attention- all this _positive_  attention. Usually she was at the head of someone's scorn, or the target of much laughter and mocking. But now people, instead of pointing at her and mocking her, pointed at her and waved happily. It seemed everyone wanted to be her friend, since she was the one chiefly responsible for taking down the missile despite Diana also being there. Diana just brushed off the additional attention gracefully. She was no doubt used to being in the limelight and wasn't flattered by the praise and she was able to evade the crowds successfully. Akko was still learning how to manage all that and it was only thanks to Lotte either pulling her away, or Professor Ursula sending the crowds off, or Sucy scaring away the girls with some horrendous smelling potion, that she was able to escape.

The attention exhausted the normally super charged Akko and she found herself missing the calmer days. That was why she couldn't wait for classes to start again, especially now that she had gained some of her magic back. She had recently been able to pilot her broom around for long distances, albeit only a couple inches from the ground. But progress was progress and it helped that Diana was her tutor.

Amanda had offered initially but the girl flew like a maniac and she wasn't the safest of choices for a beginner like Akko. So Diana had offered to privately tutor Akko, which had shocked everyone when the blonde had come out and said it publicly. Akko had been overjoyed. This just meant that slowly she was becoming closer friends with Diana. The usually prickly and coldly composed Cavendish girl was becoming more open and receptive to others. Most importantly she had real respect for Akko now, following how Akko had helped Diana with her family situation and then with saving the world.

So the two girls worked together on Akko's skills all week long, late in the afternoon when the blonde had time. Even with the week of no classes, the prestigious girl still had a lot of work and responsibilities to tend to, so Akko didn't push her for other times, just gratefully took the time Diana offered her. Diana was a patient instructor, and she had a sharp eye. She would catch all of Akko's mistakes and point them out and explain how Akko could improve them. Not only was she helpful, but spending time alone with Diana made Akko happy and she might have once or twice purposefully messed up if only so that Diana would spend more time instructing her, moving Akko's hands into the correct position. Her touch made Akko feel warm for reasons she was yet unsure of. All Akko knew was that she liked it.

And it was because of Diana that Akko was able to make so much progress. She was able to fly for extended periods of time, albeit not at high heights. But there would always be time to fix that. At the end of the week, Akko did a little test show for her friends to show the extent of her progression. They had clapped in appreciation for her new skills, but then of course Amanda had to hop on her own broom and show off  _her_  skill set, blowing away almost all of the witches hats with her show stopping performance, advertising that Akko would have known how to do this already if she had only let the Irish girl teach the brunette this. Akko had merely laughed, because such things were still out of her grasp.

The week of relaxation had slowly drawn to an end and the girls decided they wanted to do something together for one last event of fun before it was time to go back to work. And since the weather was so fair, they had decided to set up a picnic. Everyone was responsible for bringing one thing or the other and even Diana manged to take some time off and join them along with her friends Hannah and Barbara. The three girls brought a trayful of sweets and some nice blankets to sit on. Almost too nice to sit on, but Diana had assured them all it was fine to sit on them since for her they were merely some old ratty blankets. Sucy brought some muffins, Lotte made some tea, Jasminka brought chips, Amanda some dip for the chips, Constantine made three different kinds of small sandwiches and Akko brought onigri. Together they set out under an overhanging willow tree by a small stream where they ate and talked to their hearts content.

"Ahh! This is great," Akko said as she kicked back, patting her full stomach. She had just devoured a substantial portion of the food around her and was now feeling the first vestiges of a food coma hitting her. Laughter floated from by the river where Amanda was flying her broom over the water, letting her feet run through the gentle waves as she circled around Hannah and Barbara who were wading ankle deep and trying to splash in unison the Irish girl, only to get splashed themselves. Sucy was off somewhere collecting mushrooms, Lotte was reading her Nightfall book up in the trees branches, Constantine was tinkering with some metal pieces she had brought with herself, and Jasminka was chomping down on the last of the food. She, along with Akko and Diana, were still on the blankets.

Diana was sipping from a chilling cup of tea, glancing over Akko who plopped down on the blanket, loosening her neck tie a bit to release the congestion she felt from eating so much. "Everyone together, having so much fun. It's a shame Andrew couldn't be here as well. Then everyone we knew would be here."

Diana down turned her lips slightly. "Why Andrew? He has nothing to do with this. And Luna Nova is a magic school, for  _girls_. Andrew is most certainly not a girl."

Akko was a bit confused by this. "I know he's not a girl...still it would be nice to have him around. He's a pretty funny guy. And reliable too." Andrew and Akko had met up this past week in order for him to give her her hat back, the one she had gotten back only to forget it once more. The simple exchange had turned into a downtown adventure, one in which they had both laughed so hard and long that Akko came back with sore abs. He was really funny when he didn't have to act uptight around his father. It seemed to help that he loosened up around Akko. She seemed to have that effect on others, even Diana, who was becoming more trusting of her.

"Isn't he your long time friend? Wouldn't you want him to also hang out with you? He kind of had a part in the end of the world saving thing. I think..." Akko scrunched up her nose thoughtfully.

"I see you've gotten very close to him," Diana said evenly, almost too evenly, like she was trying to hide some emotion that shouldn't be leaking out into her voice.

Akko's ears perked up at this. Being around Diana more recently, she had become more attuned to how the girl expressed emotion even without expressing it. So she knew something about Andrew was bothering the blonde. Did she perhaps have...feelings for him? That was the first thought that flew into Akko's mind. It wouldn't be odd if that was the case. He was quite a handsome boy. But the thought made Akko sad for some reason.

Akko sat up, mouth open to ask when Sucy strode up to her cackling evilly. "Akko, look what I found."

Akko turned to see that Sucy had lowered herself to Akko's eye level and was waving another one of her distorted fungal obsessions around. The product smelled terribly from this close up and Akko's hair stood straight up at the smell as her hands clamped over her mouth. "What is that?" she asked in a muffled voice as Jasminka shuffled away to prevent the smell from spoiling her appetite not that it would have affected it much. Diana's nose wrinkled up from the scent and she coughed to cover up her momentary show of disdain before taking out a handkerchief and placing it over her nose. Sucy didn't mind the smell. Instead she was delighted by it.

"I've finally managed to discover a really rare mushroom. They are really hard to find but apparently one can find them if having a picnic where muffins are served, with more than two other people present under a willow tree by a stream." The conditions were oddly specific, as usual.

Akko was glad to see her friend happy, even if Sucy's sharktoothed smile was forming, which meant she had an evil idea coming together. "That's great!" she enthused. "What does it do?"

"Well, it's great for luring small wildlife, which is why it's so rare in the first place as they all eat it. But the really good use it has is getting rid of unwanted (or wanted) hair growth. The bad smell helps to scare away hair. I was going to use it to see if I could get rid of all your hair while you slept," Sucy added with a mischievous smirk, watching in amusement as Akko's hair was already waving around wildly as if it could leap off of Akko's head at any moment and run for the hills so as to avoid the horrid fate awaiting it.

Before Akko could retort, Diana did it for her.

"Sucy, unregistered use of such illegal fungi is-" but Diana's lecture was cut off when out of nowhere, a snow white bunny jumped out of the bushes by the blanket, leapt up, stole the mushroom from Sucy's outstretched hand, and ran off.

Sucy didn't say anything, but the way she watched the rabbit disappear with her single visible eye wide open and brows slightly turned up belied her disappointment and upset that her prize had been stolen. While Akko was glad the smell was gone, she hated seeing her friend sad. "Don't worry, I'll get it back for you!" Akko jumped to her feet and pulling out her wand, yelled out, "Metamorphie Faciesse," before changing into a brown rabbit and pouncing off after the first one.

"Akko!" Diana cried out in concern before she rose to her feet to get the stubborn and impulsive girl back, wand in her hand.

But rabbits were tricky creatures and as Diana following the two bobbing blobs of white and brown across the brush, she got steadily further and further away from the blanket, entering a more condensed part of the woods.

"Akko?" she called out tentatively when she finally lost track of her. It was quiet here in the woods and the girl felt frustrated at Akko's actions. Did the girl really have to run off and do something silly right now? School was less than a day from starting and Akko was doing something that no doubt would get her in trouble. There wasn't a single adventure the brunette could go on that didn't end in some sort of trouble or chaos. And Diana was hoping to prevent that by finding Akko now. She was coming to view the girl closely and wanted to take care of her, to ensure she was safe. Facing down a malignant rocket together had frightened Diana more than she could admit out loud. There had been so much that could have gone wrong, that could have ended badly. And Diana had been scared, not only for herself- for her well being, while she did not put herself first or even second or third, always placing the care of others before her as was her family motto, was still of partial concern- but also for Akko. The girl faced such trials and tribulations almost weekly and surely it couldn't be healthy. So Diana was going to protect her from such things, or else she wasn't a true Cavendish.

With that determination in her veins, Diana continued on, her eyes flickering quickly to the right when she saw something brown flicker past. She quickly turned on her heel and ran after it, raising her wand to conduct a summoning spell, so concentrated on aiming it correctly on the fleeing animal that she completely missed the root in her way. It tripped her up and with an ungainly scream she tumbled down hard, rolling almost head over heels as she slid down some sort of hill, hitting her head hard on the way down. With a groan she stilled at the bottom, a torrent of fallen leaves covering her.

Raising a hand to her forehead, she felt for a bump. There seemed to be none but it hurt. She would have to cast a healing spell on it. Getting up, her muscles protested at her movements and she realized she would have to cast a more extensive spell than she originally thought. Luckily nothing seemed broken just bruised. She felt around the leaf pile for wand which she had dropped on her way down, only to see it wasn't there.

Frowning, she got up, hands on her hips. Had she dropped it somewhere higher up? Splendid. Now not only did she had to stop Akko but she also had to find her wand. Making her way up the steep incline, she kept an eye out for her wand, brushing some leaves out of her hair when she found some had taken unwelcome refuge there.

When at last, slightly out of breath, she had made it up, she still didn't see her wand anywhere on the floor. How frustrating and inconvenient. Of course, when she finally picked her gaze up from the forest floor, she found something more important and that was even more inconvenient than a missing wand.

"Mushrooms?" Several dozens of them, in fact, and all in varying sizes and colors. It was like being in a valley of rainbows. There were orange ones that roughly were level with her head, whereas others grew so big they were almost as tall as her mansion. Wide eyed, Diana cast a look all around her as if to double check that these were the same woods she had come from. But indeed the path behind her disappeared into a continuation of mushrooms. Where the familiar forest had been now was an entirely foreign world.

Diana was momentarily at a lack of words, and lack of action. What could she do? It seemed she had been thrust into a strange situation. Did Sucy have something to do with this? The witch was notorious for her fungi usage. And there had been that incident last time when mushrooms had nearly taken over Luna Nova, the core of the issue stemming from Sucy's body itself. But what would Sucy's motivation be for doing something like this? Sighing softly, Diana decided she wouldn't get any answers by standing around and so she decided to walk ahead, hoping she would find a way out. She didn't like the thought of going in wandless but she had no other option now. She would merely have to be on her toes and treat everything around her as if it could be dangerous.

She wondered, was Akko by any chance here too? Or was Diana the only one currently stuck in this predicament? As Dianna continued walking, she became aware that there was someone humming ahead. Curious, as to who this other person here was and if they could offer any help, she pushed aside some of the smaller mushrooms blocking her view and found in a small clearing a single large blue red mushroom whose sides kept alternating colors rhythmically. And on top of it, smoking out of a hookah pipe was a caterpillar. It's body was long and blue, wrapped neatly on top of the fungi. It was wearing little shoes on each of it's legs, but the strangest part of it wasn't the shoes and the fact that it was singing and smoking, but that Professor Ursula's face was on it.

"Professor?" Diana nearly gasped out but managed to compose herself, in shock at the sight before her. It didn't make any sense.

"Ah, yes, many call me a professor of many fine arts," the caterpillar replied with, stopping her singing as she took a long puff, blowing out strawberry scented smoke. "But then I also profess much so I am a professor of professing as it is."

Diana couldn't make much sense of what her professor was saying much less doing here and in such a state. "Professor, can you tell me what is going on? I chased Akko into the woods and suddenly I seem to have found myself in a strange forest of sorts and now here you are, dressed as a caterpillar-"

"Dressed as a caterpillar!" Ursula interrupted, sounding quite affronted. "Let me tell you young lady, I do not dress how I do not intend to be perceived. If you think that of me than be on your way. I do not entertain guests who do not think of me the way I want to be thought." Ursula turned her nose up at this, inhaling some hookah through her nostrils and angrily huffing it out.

Diana again found herself at a lack of words. This...being wasn't acting like Ursula was, for the blue haired woman would never sound this rude or angry, and Diana certainly wanted to leave if it was only going to get upset at her. Not to mention it disturbed her to see her familiar professor's head on such a grotesque body. But, the caterpillar was the only thing that Diana had seen around here yet, and she wasn't going to leave without receiving some sort of answer. "Professor, surely-"

"I do say, if you keep professing such a title, then I will be inclined to give it to you. For even I do not speak as much as you do, but when I do, it is on matters I know."

Diana swallowed down an irritated grumble at the caterpillar's interruption. She didn't want to get interrupted by more nonsense. Carefully avoiding calling the thing professor, she said, "I am in quite a situation. And I was wondering if you could tell me anything about it, since you seem to...know much." Diana wasn't sure about the knowledgeable part- the caterpillar claimed to be smart, but so far all it had done was speak useless words.

"Of course I can tell you many things. But is it the right thing you want to know? Or the left thing?"

This time Diana couldn't hold back a confused 'what?' from her lips.

"The right, or the left," the caterpillar inclined her head and pointed with one of her many hands at the left and right side of the mushroom she was sitting on.

Surely, Ursula wasn't indicating that Diana should...eat that. Eating random fungal growth was inadvisable. In the hope that her hunch was wrong, she said the first choice that came to her mind. "Right."

"Very well, you may eat some."

At this Diana paled a little. "Eat some?"

"Of course. How else will you understand what it is I am saying? Someone with such a simple mind as you could not hope to understand the wisdom that spouts from my mouth." The caterpillar plucked a chunk out and handed it over to Diana who took the slimy snack and tried not to wince in disgust. She really didn't want to do this. There was no telling what would happen. Could she trick the caterpillar into thinking she had eaten it?

But when she looked up she saw the caterpillar had rolled the upper half of it's body so that it was hovering over Diana, six pairs of arms crossed in front of it's chest as it arched a brow impatiently, other pair of hands directing the hookah into her mouth. "Well?" she asked not at all kindly. And under the uncomfortable scrutiny of the being, Diana swallowed nervously and took a bite, trying to tell herself it would all work out. Surprisingly it tasted really good. Like cherries. "Why does it taste like this?" she asked as she swallowed the food down.

"Obviously because that side happened to be red at the time I had plucked it. If it had been blue than it would have tasted differently."

"Like blueberries?" Diana ventured, slightly amazed by such a food. If this existed in the magical world and she had never heard of it before...how come she had never heard of it before?

"No, of course not," the caterpillar snorted derisively. "Like oranges."

"Oh," was all Diana chose to reply with for she realized she had gone on a momentary tangent and that there were more important things to do. Like figure what this place was. "Will you tell me what I need to know?"

"And why should I?" the caterpillar asked, blowing out a mouthful of smoke right into Diana's face, making the girl cough as she tried to stop the sting making her throat ache and her eyes water.

"You told me you would tell me if I ate it-"

"People often say things they don't mean," Ursula said meanly, sneering down at Diana. "Stupid girl, you should know this."

Diana could feel her blood begin to boil. "I don't need to stand here and take this abuse from you, you impostor! You may have the face of a beloved professor of mine-"

"Impostor?!" The caterpillar reared back at this, her eyes flashing red and glasses falling off of her face as she moved quickly. Suddenly Diana was worried that it would attack her and she was completely defenseless. But the anger faded from it's face. "I once was a pastor, but I quit my job, so I suppose that is the opposite of being one and the reverse of what one is, is often in or im or un, so I am indeed an impostor."

Diana scrunched up her face in deep confusion. What was going on? This was confusing, not to mention irritating, and baffling and befuddling and just...she just wanted to find her friend, her wand, and her way back home. Perhaps she could ask the caterpillar if she had seen her wand or Akko? Maybe that would proffer up some answers.

"Have you by perchance seen a wand around?"

"A wand? And what is that?"

Figuring it would take too long to explain such a thing, Diana switched onto another topic. "What about Akko? She was last seen as a bunny."

"Oh, a bunny. Of course I know of that. I know many folks who are rabbits."

Diana's hope at the earlier part of the sentence was slightly dashed as the caterpillar continued talking. "Why, I see many run this way every day."

"Yes, but have you seen a brown rabbit-"

"What a rude little girl, interrupting me as I was speaking."

No she hadn't. She had waited for the being to finish before she had asked her own question. Maybe she had been a bit hasty in asking but it was only because she was really confused and irritated and feeling out of her depths. And her mannerisms could only carry perfectly so far in her levels of discomfort. "I'm sorry, but you had already finished and-"

"You are never to assume one is finished when they finish a sentence. Merely that they will start a new one since the old one has finished."

"Right, but could you tell me where the rabbit-"

"In fact, a period that ends a sentence can in fact be a sort of new beginning, for a period is also a time in which something happens."

 _You're the one who keeps interrupting me!_ Diana wanted to childishly pout out but she held herself in. She didn't want to offend this highly offendable character anymore than she had supposedly already did.

"Yes-"

"And thus I must enter my new period," the caterpillar mussed, discarding it's hookah. A thin hard film began to quickly spread up from it's tail to it's head. "I must leave you while I change."

"But wait-!" Diana extended a hand as if that could do anything. "You still haven't told me anything!"

"Haven't I?" the caterpillar said coyly. "Change is the answer." Her hair began to fall out and from the bald spots that appeared, red fuzz began to grow anew.

"But-!"

"You may want to get a move on before the mushroom wears off, because only once you switch your perspective will you seek what you find."

"Wears off?" Diana asked a hint of fear in her voice just as her body began to feel a bit tingly.

"I must leave you now," the caterpillar said as she coiled in tightly on herself and Diana could see that a hard cocoon was forming over it. "But perhaps I will see you later, young Diana." And with that it had covered Ursula's face and she was quiet at last. But Diana was mildly panicking over her current situation to be too phased about the caterpillar starting the process of metamorphosis or of it knowing her name. For she was growing and at an alarmingly quick rate.

With a soft cry of horror she shot up twenty, then thirty than sixty feet, until she towered over the mushroom forests, her head nearly touching the clouds. She slowed down once she reached such a height, a flock of birds turning around and avoiding her when they saw her.

"What is going on?" she mumbled to herself, trying to logically organize everything. What was this magic? But with so little information to use, she had nothing to go on. Which meant she only had one option and that was to use her new found height to scope out the area. The caterpillar said it would eventually wear off so she had no need to be too concerned about this. That thought kept her panic edged off and as she viewed the area she saw that the mushrooms eventually ended into a forest of sorts. Thinking that would be her best bet to leaving this whole mess behind, she slowly and cautiously moved one of her legs forward and set out.


	2. Further Down the Rabbit Hole

* * *

_There's a fork in the road,_   
_I'll do as as I am told,_   
_Well, I don't know, (Don't know don't know don't know don't know)- Marina and the Diamonds_

* * *

Once Diana got used to her massive weight, the weird birds eye view perspective, and the slow way she moved, she managed to get to the end of the field of mushrooms and to a more grassy part just as the magic on her began to wear off. But it didn't wear off completely so she was still stuck at a towering thirty feet. This wasn't as dizzying of an experience as her last height reach so she found it easier to move around. It certainly was warmer down here too, without the cold wind cutting into her skin. And as she now traversed the grassy plain, she found a simple stone path leading the way off somewhere. She decided to follow it for she had no better option, all the while wondering where Akko was. She was beginning to get concerned for the girl. She hadn't seen either head or tails of her. Was the girl having as much difficulty as she was with this strange situation? But despite the absurdity of it, Diana was determined to get out on top and to make the most of it. If only there was someone else she could talk to here.

As if summoned by her thoughts, there was a gentle throat clearing from above her and when Diana looked up, she found that there was a cat sitting in a really tall tree, or more correctly, Sucy. The witch was looking down on Diana with a wide grin, one almost too wide to fit her face realistically. Two purple ears prodded from her head and a tail swung lazily behind her.

"Sucy?" Diana exclaimed with some shock which turned into excitement that she quickly reeled in. Perhaps Sucy would be more useful. "Sucy, can you tell me what is happening here? Did you have anything to do with this?"

"My my my," Sucy clucked her tongue. "And where do you get off addressing me so casually."

_Oh great, not another one,_  Diana thought to herself. She was rather going to get upset if everyone here talked in circle and riddles and got offended easily.

Still, she would persevere. "I apologize," she took up the edges of her skirt and did a small curtsy, not willing to make herself seem unmannerly even if her manners were slowly losing their edge because of the rudeness of others. "I wasn't aware I shouldn't call you by your name."

"Relax your stance, nyah," Sucy said, as she sat up on the branch. "I was only teasing. You really need to be at ease more. You really can be such a bore," she said in a smug voice, something that Sucy was rarely heard talking in. It seemed all these creatures here were modeled after Diana's associates, but with all the wrong traits. Why was that? Why were they taking on this form? Where they perhaps trapped in this strange situation just like Diana? But they didn't seem as troubled by it...so that didn't seem right.

Diana ignored the insult thrown at her- that surely wasn't something odd for Sucy's character- and continued on. "May you tell me what is occurring around here?"

"I could or could not tell you, nyah," Sucy pondered, "But then what kind of cat would I be? Curiosity killed the cat so I shall not answer any of your questions for I so do like my life very much."

Diana thinned her lips and clenched her hands into tight fists as she tried to not explode from annoyance. She had never meet such infuriating characters before. And it was all the worse because they were not only unhelpful but also illogical. And she could not deal with a problem that didn't make sense. There was no way to talk to them to get the answers she wanted! Unless...unless she also didn't make sense.

Diana cupped her chin in her hand and contemplated over this, still aware of the fact that the cat was lying on the branches above her, licking a paw and swiping it over it's face. What could Diana say that would...be nonsensical but make sense at the same time? If only Diana could have someone to help her. She was usually self reliant and very good at it too, but this was a situation that someone like Akko would be better suited to dealing with. The girl took the impossible and made it possible. And this had happened on several occasions. Diana was sure the brunette would have somehow taken this situation into stride and come out on top of it. So, trying to imagine how Akko would react to this circumstance, Diana directed her gaze back up at the cat. "So, cat-"

"Cheshire cat if you will," Sucy interrupted. "It is my maiden name after all and it is only right to call one by a name they desire, is it not?"

What was with these characters and their penchant for interrupting? Diana was sidetracked by the rudeness of the conversation but she quickly pushed it aside, knowing Akko wouldn't have minded.

_Come on, think like Akko!_  She bolstered her attitude.

"Cheshire cat, don't you have nine lives? So truly you will not die if I ask a question," was what Diana settled on. She winced at the stupidity of it- not to be taken the wrong way, she didn't think Akko said necessarily dumb things, although she did on several occasions (but after they had become friends then it was cute and okay and completely endearing) but it seemed like something Akko might make as a comeback to Sucy's logic.

At this Sucy's sharp smile widened even more, threatening to fall off of her face entirely as it bypassed the constructs on her cheek lines. "Now, who told you such a lie about cats? Clearly, you are uneducated."

Diana's small confidence waned. Well, that hadn't worked the way she had intended it to.

"But, I can give you a hint if you are so desperate. A word to the wise."

Diana's ears perked up at this and she tried to maintain a neutral facade, worried that her emotions were leaking out onto her face and making her too vulnerable in a place where she couldn't afford that.

"There is a fork in this path ahead." The cat swiped a paw over it's ears for dramatic effect. "As well as a spoon and knife, but ignore the last two. The fork will show you two paths, and you must decide which one to take. One will lead you to a kind lady while the other will lead you to a man who knows many things."

That information was sort of...dare Diana say it, helpful. "Thank you," she told the cat, who was strangely starting to fade away starting from it's tail to its head.

"Don't thank me. You won't like what you see on either end." Then with that not at all ominous statement, the cat disappeared with a pop, only it's smile hanging in the air above the branches.

Diana tried not to shiver and averted her gaze from it as it began to giggle softly to itself. Then she continued walking down the path. Just like the cat had said there was a fork and a spoon and a knife in her path, all the size of humans but still small to Diana for she remained a tall thirty feet. They were spinning around in a silent circular dance of sorts. She arched a brow as she looked at them, wondering if she should interrupt them, when the fork noticed her, pulled itself free and did a little jump on the little metal legs sprouting out from it's sides before it pointed at the single road in front of her and flopped himself down. Suddenly, the road divided into two.

At this point, Diana struggled not to be shocked because she should be expecting this level of nonsense but it still hit her and made her want to rub her head in pain. Instead she smiled down gratefully at the fork as the spoon and knife jumped up and down by Diana's legs, making noises similar to violently rattling cutlery. They sounded angry, but why? Was it because she was avoiding them like she had been warned to do so? She shook her head to focus herself back on her task.

"Do you know which way is to the lady? And which is the way to the man with answers?" Diana definitely wanted to go to the man with answers. That was something she needed right now. What could a kind lady help her with? She didn't need kindness, she needed answers, knowledge.

But the fork didn't respond, so she tried another approach. "Can you show me where I need to go?"

Without hesitation the fork pointed to the left side of the road. Diana said her thanks and went on her way. The path was winding and stayed relatively unchanging in landscape until she began to note a speck in the distance. As she got closer she saw it was a house. But when she got closer, she noticed she had a bit of a problem. She had forgotten she was still thirty feet tall and thus she wouldn't be able to fit into the house. The spell hadn't worn off all the way yet and she wondered if she was stuck like this.

The door opened up as she stood there contemplating her future and how she would attend Luna Nova classes as a giant, a small girl with short hair and round glasses peeking her face out. "There you are. I was waiting for you," she said gently, cracking the door open more.

"You were?"

"Sincerely. Here, eat this." The woman, who was undoubtedly Lotte, held out a fresh loaf of bread. "It's freshly baked."

"I'm not hungry, but thank you," Diana waved away the offer. Last time she had eaten something here she had grown to insane measures.

"This will get you back to your regular size. I made it freshly for you." Lotte smiled gently and this time Diana took the bread. She bit into it with less hesitancy, the soft bready flavors melting in her mouth. Instantly she noted that her body was shrinking and was once more back in it's normal state. She patted herself all over to make sure and was relieved to find it was the case and then pocketed the bread next to where she kept the mushroom, in case she needed either of them for something else.

"Come in," Lotte offered and Diana followed her back inside the house. It was a quaint little place, with a bubbling cauldron on the fireplace that was cooking merrily. "Sit down," Lotte pointed at a comfy chair and Diana sat down gratefully as she was handed a cup of tea from the nearby kitchen stove.

"A rough journey it must have been," Lotte commented.

"A very puzzling one, I must admit, Lotte," Diana said as she sipped her drink. It tasted oddly like something she had drank before but she couldn't recall what.

"Puzzles are always good. They help one's mind function and think. Although if they are unsolved they can be quite difficult to piece together."

Diana nodded her head to this, glad to see that Lotte seemed to be reasonable. Maybe she could be helpful. It didn't seem like she was the man with the answers, the fork pointing her down to the road to someone who could show her some kindness. And maybe Diana did indeed need some kindness right now more than she needed answers. For she had felt too frazzled and like a fish out of water the whole duration she was in this part of the woods, it taking all her energy to remain composed. And being with Lotte was calming her down, as was the tea.

"I think you must solve a big puzzle yourself," Lotte continued on, sipping on her tea.

"Yes, I have many questions to solve. Can you help me with some of them, earnestly?"

At this Lotte flushed and put her hands to her cheeks, letting out a girlish scream. "Why-why D-Diana, I can't do such things!"

"Excuse me?" Diana said tiredly, realizing it hadn't been a good idea to get comfortable since it seemed no one here was safe from being quirky.

"Those are things you want to do with Akko! Not with me! I cannot be earnest with you!"

"With Akko?" Diana furrowed her brows, confusion etched upon her features.

"She's the only one who you want to do it with anyways!"

"I don't understand- I merely want to find her and bring her back with me to Luna Nova. I was only going to ask if you could show me the way to her."

"I can't show you such things!" Lotte squealed once more, shutting her eyes tight and blushing all the more. "I am not the one to show you such things."

Feeling like she wasn't going to get anywhere if she pressed this topic further, Diana switched gears. "I'm sorry if I have offended you. That was not my intention."

"No one ever intends such things until they do," Lotte responded with and took back to drinking her tea. It seemed she had returned to normal and Diana let out a quiet relieved sigh. Really, was it so hard to ask for some peace and quiet? Or for some answers?

There came a knock on the door and Lotte rose to her feet to go answer it, Diana right behind her. At the door stood a handsome young knight, that had a giant heart painted onto his armor. "Andrew?" Diana asked breathlessly. What was her childhood friend doing here? He didn't seem to hear her or even see her for her didn't acknowledge her presence even once.

"A letter of invitation to the duchess from the Queen herself," he said briskly as he held out a red heart shaped card. "To her very prestigious ball."

"Oh dear! What an honor, I've never been. The queen wishes to see me?" Lotte, or the Duchess, as she was called here, took the note and read it quickly.

"Yes. She expects you to be there at nine in the afternoon. Do not be late or it will be off with your head." With that he bowed stiffly and mounted his white horse in one swift motion before riding off.

"A party. We both must go!" Lotte announced with excitement in her eyes.

"I'm afraid I cannot. I'm still looking for Akko."

"I'm sure Akko will be at the party. Everyone in the kingdom will be there, she always throws one for everyone each year. I've been before."

Then why had she seemed so genuinely surprised to be invited this year? And why did it sneakily sound like she was only adding the last part so that Diana could go with her?

But perhaps, if Akko was there, then Diana could go. Already Diana had felt like she had been in this weird part of the woods for too long. But she couldn't leave without the girl. There was no telling if she was in trouble.

"I suppose I should attend this event."

"Excellent. And I have just the thing you should wear for it!" Lotte dashed to the stairs of the house and went up them.

"Wear? Why am I changing clothes?" Diana inquired but she was only speaking to empty air. So she waited patiently for Lotte to come back down with the dress. It was a baby blue dress with a frock on the front. It looked like something a little lost girl would wear. And Diana certainly wasn't one of those.

"I cannot wear that," she protested as magnanimously as she could, not wanting to insult one of the only characters who had been 'normal'. Besides there was nothing wrong with her Luna Nova outfit.

"But you must. Otherwise they won't let you into the ball- it is a rule."

"A ball?"

"Yes, we shall play ball, at the Queen's castle." Lotte thrust the dress onto Diana who merely sighed. She supposed the sooner she went on with putting this dress on, the sooner she would get to the party. "Very well," she commented and then was shown by the Duchess to a changing room. When she came down the stairs, feeling ridiculous in all this lace and blue ruffles, she saw Lotte had also changed into a pink dress.

The two set out from the house, walking at a leisurely pace when Diana became aware of a light boing sound that came from the tall grass surrounding the path. The next thing she noticed was a pair of giant brown rabbit ears. Diana stopped in her walking to look on at the twitching ears. Could it be-?

A moment later she heard a plaintive voice announce, "Oh, I've lost it now! I cannot find the mushroom anywhere. And it was so important." Akko's head popped out from the brush, her rabbit nose twitching in annoyance and frustration. She had turned into her half human, half rabbit form, her spell having worn off substantially.

"Akko!" Diana cried out in excitement. She had finally found her! But the brunette hadn't heard her. Instead she turned around and ran further into the grass, disappearing among the green. "Akko, wait!" Diana stumbled after her.

"Diana, we can't be late to the party!" Lotte cried out after the blonde but she wasn't listening. She crashed through the grass frantically only to suddenly lose her footing. Hidden by the leafy blades had been a giant gaping black hole, one that apparently Akko had been unaffected by, for as Diana tripped and tumbled into it, it opened up like a giant black maw to swallow her up and then she was falling.


	3. Another Invitation

_Did the mushrooms make you grow? Did the flowers say hello? Would Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee care to sing a song for me? -Rachel Rose_

* * *

Diana fell for what felt like a long time, her cries long dying out when she realized she wasn't any closer to reaching an end. In fact, her fall was slowing down and it was almost like she was floating gently downwards. The hole above her head had closed up but surprisingly the place was lit warmly. There were floating candle sticks and lanterns and even other common household objects just in midair that Diana passed in her descent deeper. Books, tables set for dinner, and even a bed or two with sleeping people in them. She didn't know how they got here, or how they were even suspended like this, but she figured this wasn't an important enough conundrum for her to exert mental capacities on. There was more pressing issues, like how to ascend rather than descend continuously.

Diana didn't know how long this would go on for, so she began to brainstorm a way to get back up, pushing down her dress's ruffles occasionally as they would blow up in a sudden breeze. Perhaps there could be some object here that could slow her descent?

But before she could find one, she saw ground below her, made of tiles and covered in assorted colorful carpets and standing on the bottom, dusting herself off, was Akko. So the girl had fallen down here too!

"Akko!" Diana cried out, startling the young girl. She craned her neck up and looked at Diana. "I'm afraid I haven't got time to talk. I have to find that mushroom!" Then with that the brunette strode off and away past some door.

"Akko- no, wait!" Diana let out a frustrated grunt as she tried to tilt her body forwards so that she could land faster but all she succeeded in doing was spinning head over heels until she landed in an undignified manner on the floor, dress flopped over her head. She got up, fixing her clothes quickly before racing to the door where Akko had gone through. She had been so close to getting the girl, only to have her leave. What was wrong with Akko? Was she also inclined to acting oddly like the other characters here? Had their influence rubbed off on her?

Jerking the door open, Diana found it lead to a room with a single door at the end. Only this door was substantially smaller than Diana. It was roughly the size of her palm. Looking around for any other exit out of this room, she saw that the room was solid. The only exception was the small door in front of her, for even the door Diana had just come through had disappeared, leaving her in the dim empty room by herself.

"Well, this is splendid. My day gets better and better," Diana tried to say as evenly as possible before crossing her arms over her chest and plopping down in an entirely unladylike manner so she could sit and ponder a way to getting out of this problem. No use in getting frustrated over something she couldn't control; she could be using that energy more constructively. Now, could she perhaps squeeze her way through?

Unlikely, unless she suddenly became the size of a mouse.

At that an idea sparked in her mind. She didn't have her wand, so she couldn't transform herself into a mouse, but she had something almost as good. Lotte's bread! Digging into her pocket she took it out and sized the bread up. Now, if a bite turned her from thirty feet tall to her regular height, which was around five foot six, then half a bite might make her shrink to the right size of a couple of inches. Carefully measuring the bite out, she took it and chewed fully before swallowing. She gasped loudly as she began to shrink quickly and the world spun dizzily around her, making her close her eyes to get rid of the brief spell of vertigo she had. When she opened her eyes, she found that she was now small enough to get through the door. But, she had lost her bread in the transformation. It towered over her, too big for her to carry. She didn't even think she could scale it. Huffing in annoyance, for she had just lost a tool that could prove to be useful to her in the future, she decided to rip off a few crumbs from the edge where she had bitten them off. Pocketing them carefully, she opened the door and stepped outside, the bright light blinding her.

She was in a garden of sorts, pretty giant daises and roses and other flower varieties towering over her. Closing the door behind her, it seeming to be made of the bark of the tree that stood to her back- Diana got a brief headache as she tried to make sense of how she had fallen in a hole only to end up in a tree and thus quickly gave up on that thought process- she went on her way, feeling a bit uncomfortable at her small and vulnerable state. Should she eat some of the mushroom in her pocket? But if she did then she could miss Akko, for the girl was surely about the same size as Diana now or how else would she have gotten past that door?

As Diana walked, avoiding giant rocks and bugs- thankfully none of them were of the talkative kind, like that rude caterpillar- she heard two familiar voices speaking in tandem.

"I do say, what a nice day it is."

"And I do say I agree."

"I'm glad you agree."

"As am I."

Diana rounded on the plant stalk from which the voices were coming behind from and found Hannah and Barbara walking together, holding hands and dressed in a most odd of outfits. They both wore red overalls and both of their hair was done in a high ponytail.

"Hannah and Barbara," Diana said, waving her hands so the two walking girls would see her. They paused in their walk.

"We are not Hannah and Barbara," said Hannah.

"She must have us mistaken for someone else," added Barbara.

"For we are Tweedledum and Tweedledee," supplied Hannah. They were both talking with the same inflection and their faces were blank, which unnerved Diana a bit to see her friends looking like this.

"Twins," Barbara added unhelpfully.

"Twins?" Diana echoed. "I'm sorry, but neither of you look like twins."

"She's only jealous she does not have a twin of her own," Hannah sniffed to Barbara, the girl doing the same. "Clearly."

"Girls," Diana said with a touch of exasperation, wanting to explain to them logically why they could not be twins, but thought better of it. Nobody would see reason here, so why would the two of them be any different? Still, it didn't sit right with her to leave two of her closer friends like this, stuck in a weird mindset due to the bad influence of this place. Maybe she could convince them to come with her? But first, asking about Akko.

"Have either of you seen Akko? She has brown rabbit ears and a little nose."

The two girls exchanged looks at this before giggling together. "Oh, you've fallen down the rabbit hole," said Hannah, smiling as if she knew something Diana did not.

"With Akko," finished Barbara, also smug about the hidden context.

"Yes, and?" Diana arched a brow not seeing how this was funny or relevant.

"That is not our concern," Hannah explained.

"You took the fall, and you must stand tall."

"With your choices," Hannah clarified.

"Girls," Diana couldn't help from reprimanding them this time. She was used to steering her friends on the correct path back at Luna Nova, so why should this be any different? "Stop this vapid foolishness and tell me what I need to know!"

The two girls didn't like this tonal switch from Diana.

"Sounds like someone is getting impatient."

"And rude."

"And we don't like rude people here."

"We very  _much_  don't like rude people here."

"How much don't we like them?"

"Very, _very_  much," growled Barbara and Diana swallowed nervously as the two 'twins' rounded on her, their faces growing darker.

"Uh, girls?" she stammered uncertainly. "What are you doing?"

But they marched right at her in unison. "You are a blight on our land."

"And on our fun," Barbara sniffed angrily. "We won't have you here ruining our illusion."

"Girls-" Diana raised her hands in a show of surrender when a shadow fell over her and the 'twins'. They paused in their motions and looked up. Diana looked behind her to see what had them distracted and saw a giant fluttering butterfly behind her, in the prettiest of red and black colors. It swept up a slight breeze, one that sent Diana's locks flying past her face as it landed just off to her right.

"I told you I would meet you again, little Diana," the butterfly said and Diana came to realize that it was the caterpillar from before, except now it had the head of Chariot, her red hair gleaming in the sunlight and her smile a friendly one. "Now hop on my back before you make anymore trouble for yourself."

Without waiting for more instructions, Diana did so. The butterfly started off with a big flap of its wings, sweeping dust over the two 'twins' who shook their free hands in anger over Diana's escape.

The butterfly shot up quickly, making Diana worry whether she would lose her stomach but thankfully Chariot evened up once she had risen over the heads of the flowers and Diana found that it was almost like flying a broom, albeit a fuzzy one.

"Why were they like that?" Diana asked, slightly hurt and worried for her friends behaviors.

"People are always like that even if we don't see it. Are you truly surprised they can be mean, when you yourself were no better?" Chariot answered with in a pleasant voice.

Diana felt guilt hit her at this when she recalled how she had used to be rude to Akko like this in the beginning of the school year. And her friends had been rude too and she had done nothing to dissuade their behaviors.

"Is that why Akko keeps running away from me?" Was perhaps Akko avoiding her and the mushroom search was just an excuse? But Akko had seemed fine prior to all this, feathers unruffled by Diana's earlier rudeness in the early stages of their encounters. Diana had even apologized and Akko accepted, assuring with one of her brilliant and heart stopping smiles that everything was okay between them.

"I cannot answer a question you already have an answer to, little one," the butterfly said with slight amusement.

"What do you mean-?"

But Diana didn't get a chance to finish, for a huge shadow had covered her. When she looked up she saw a bird was hovering over them, clearly having marked them as a tasty snack.

"I'm afraid the life of pest is very short, and thus I must ask you to reconsider using me as a ride and take a different path. Perhaps honesty will suit you more."

"Wait-!" Diana started but then the butterfly descended rapidly downwards, making her teeth clack together painfully as she held on for dear life. Once it landed, she got off on trembling feet. "Chariot-" she turned to beg the butterfly not to leave her. She was worried for it. She didn't want it to face that bird alone, yet she knew it would because Chariot was brave and self sacrificing, and Diana hated that yet loved that about her childhood hero. But she had to begrudgingly give up the notion that any of these beings, although they wore familiar faces, were actually the people she knew and loved and cared for. Was anyone here, besides her and Akko, actually someone she knew? Or were they all false? And if so, what was the point of them wearing her friends faces?

"Just around that bend is the path you must take. Hurry. If you want to reach Akko, then you must take it. If you do not, then you will lose your only chance at getting to her. Remember, honesty and bravery will reach her heart more than anything else." With those cryptic words, Chariot rose up once more and zoomed off into the skies, the bird speeding right after her a second later.

Diana tried to follow the progress but was unable to, the leaves of the flowers blocking her view of the sky. She could only hope that Chariot was okay and that Diana would see her another day.

Passing the bend, just like Chariot had said, there was a small stony path for her and Diana took it, walking with haste now. Was Akko surely down this path? Only time would tell. Diana sorely hoped she was. This whole thing was getting ridiculous now. She really needed to find the girl and get her back to Luna Nova. Shaking her head in annoyance as to why did Akko have to run off in the first place, she came across a tree with bare branches and an all too familiar figure on it.

"Cat," she barked out, in mild annoyance and relief that maybe someone else would give her some hints as to the course of action she should take.

"It's Cheshire cat," Sucy corrected haughtily. "How would you like it if I only called you by half a name? Dia is not as nice as Diana is, is it now? Half a name only makes you half a person and you are already only half as it is."

"Excuse me?" Diana asked not at all rudely. "I am half a person you say?" she came to a stop at this, throwing her head back so she could look more closely at the cat's infuriatingly wide grin.

"Once you would have been just one, but now you are a half because you lack something you need but do not know you need," Sucy grinned as she twisted onto her back to scratch an itch along the bark.

"And what is it that I need?" Diana was a bit curious to the cat's words. It seemed she needed some soul searching. That she was lacking something and she sorely wanted to improve on that, never hesitant to improve her shortcomings. But did she really or was it just another ploy by the cat to distract her from her main mission?

Sucy shrugged. "Why am I supposed to know?"

Diana wanted to say, 'then why raise the topic if you are lacking on it' but she decided it would be pointless to raise this issue because she was sure the cat would find fault in it and get upset at her.

Instead she said, "I was directed by Chariot to go this way. Do you happen to know where else I might go? I'm certain she directed me this way because you must know something she does not, or that I do not." Diana was becoming readily aware how this whole adventure was like a puzzle. Each character held some sort of information that she needed in order to advance closer to her prize, and Diana intended on solving the puzzle and claiming her prize.

"And who is this Chariot?" the cat asked languidly, reverting back to its position in which it had its head perched in it's arm and was looking down with merriment at Diana's predicament.

"She is a giant butterfly, with flaming red wings," Diana answered.

"And you said she sent you here to me, for I know something neither of you knows?" Sucy arched a brow, her smile growing wider.

"Yes, that is what I said."

"Hmm, well I do not know this character you speak of."

Diana had thought that everyone here knew everyone- as all her friends more or less all knew each other at Luna Nova- but perhaps that assumption had been incorrect. She felt disappointment well up in her chest, but she was going to get some sort of answer out of Sucy because she knew the creature was withholding something from her. It was evident in her deviously pleased smirk.

"The character is irrelevant-"

"On the contrary, one's character is never to be irrelevant. Why, if one did not have character then they could not tell a story for they would be as blank as a piece of paper and words could not be written if they did not have a personality to guide the words they speak."

Diana was not in the mood for more of these forest creatures contrived ideologies.

"Yes, but can you tell me what I need to know?"

"Yes, I suppose I could. But do I know what it is you need to know?" Sucy shot back in amusement.

"I need to know where I can find Akko-"

"Oh, dear, nyah," Sucy interrupted. "I seem to have remembered, that you have a previous engagement."

"Do you mean the queen's ball?" She had forgotten all about that and Lotte in her bid to chase down Akko and only now recalled it.

"Most certainly not. I meant a dinner party. You have a date, you wouldn't want to be late," the Cheshire cat singsang.

"I don't have time for such-"

"I'm afraid you must find time, or time will find you, and he is a most unpleasant man, I have heard." As this Sucy jumped down from her branch and walked over to a clump of tall brush which she parted with her hand to reveal a house off in the distance. "You will ascertain something from your meal, I am sure. And if not, a meal shall be made of you, but a poor one. For failure does not feed the bellies of many but few."

It looked like Diana had no other course of action to take. She was being lead on a path and there was no other choice to take. What if she rejected it? Made her own path? But she was worried that if she did, she would become lost here forever. And she did always tend to stick to the rules society had given her, thus...

"Very well, I suppose I ought to go."

"Yes, nyah. And do be careful. I've heard they have terrible things there." With that the cat was already disappearing, only it's snickering mouth left where it once stood.

"Not at all reassuring," Diana gulped, worried if heading in this direction would be a good idea. Perhaps getting lost wouldn't be such a bad idea. But she wasn't one to give up easily even if she was disadvantaged, so she stepped through the gap and made her way over to her dinner date.


	4. The Horrible Tea Party

_My brain is scattered_   
_You can be Alice,_   
_I'll be the mad hatter- Melanie Martinez_

* * *

As Diana approached the house she noticed there was a large table there, set with food and drink and occupied by three random figures. But because of her current height, (barely reaching the level of the chair's cushion) there was no way she could successfully intercept and conduct a conversation with them. So she took a bit of the mushroom out of her pocket and took a cautious half nibble of it. She waited for a couple of minutes before she sprouted upwards. She certainly wasn't the right height- seven feet tall not being her norm- but she figured she didn't have time to be more exact, she would just work the kinks out later. Already she was becoming more used to the spells of dizziness eating these foods brought her as she shrunk and grew.

"Oh, and who are you?" Asked a gruff voice and Diana noted that it looked like she had randomly sprouted into existence close to the table, no doubt startling the tables occupants. There were three in total, all at various parts of the large table that looked to be set for tea for a party of twenty or more, but the food had all been messed up and the drink touched. Constantine was sleeping at the table, her arms covering her plate and used as a pillow, her sleeves getting dirty on the pile of muffins she was sleeping on. The round little ears on the top of her head twitched occasionally as she let out soft snores.

Jasminka was chomping down on some buttered biscuits, her protruding rabbit ears quivering with enjoyment of her snack, while Amanda sat with a crooked top hat on her head that had a note attached to it that said 10 ¾, pinky raised as she sipped on her tea with an elegance that seemed unfitting for her.

"Are you a plant?" she asked roughly. At least her tone of voice was right. Rude and disrespectful as always.

"I am not a plant," Diana dissuaded, half amused.

"You certainly grew like one. Nay, do not try to dismiss the truth. You, are a liar. A liar, I tell you. For those are always in abundance, growing like weeds. You are most decidedly a plant. Isn't that right, March Hare?" Amanda nudged Jasminka who nodded her head.

"It is a consensus. Everyone agrees."

"But what about-"

"Even Dormouse does too," Amanda said, picking up the sleeping girl's limp arm and waving it in the air. "Me, me!" She mocked in a higher pitch.

"I can clearly see- never mind. I am not a plant, I assure you," Diana found it would not be beneficial if she pointed out that Amanda had manipulated Constantine.

"Of course you are a plant. Do not be silly. Look at your tall limbs and yellow hair like corn silk. Most definitely a plant. But plants like you do need nourishment. Come, sit down and have some tea," Amanda gestured wildly to a seat next to her. Diana cautiously sat down, a cup of tea shoved into her hands by the redheaded girl. She was getting less and less amused by this plant concept, for it was in the way of having a conversation in which she could hopefully find what it was she wanted.

"Say, do plants even drink tea?" Amanda asked Jasminka who shrugged. "Ah, that is uncertain. Perhaps I shouldn't give her any." Amanda just as quickly snatched the drink away. "For I know certainly that butter is good for plants. Why, when you have corn you add butter to it to make it taste good." At this she gave Diana a plate with a huge lump of butter on it. It looked extremely unappealing.

"Uh, thank you, but I am not hungry," Diana said as she placed the plate down.

"Plants are always hungry. Just like March Hare is always hungry, and how Dormouse is always sleeping. And just how I am mad. But enough of that, Plant, what time is it?"

"I'm not a plant-" again Diana cut herself off. What was the point in arguing with a person who declared themselves to being mad? "I do not know. I do not have a watch on me."

"But you have eyes, therefore you can always watch something. Have you not seen time run by yet? He is very fast. It is a most marvelous of things. Unless you piss him off, then he is not as kind. He won't run by us again. Thus, we never know what time it is."

Diana shrugged at this. "I'm afraid I cannot give you the time then, as either way, I have not seen time. Nor do I have something that will tell time."

"Did you say sea time?"

"Pardon?" Diana blinked, not getting the difference.

But Amanda was off on another tangent. "Dormouse used to be a sailor, always worked on sea time. But then a wave washed her here and she had to get used to land time but since she is here, now she has no time either, so she always thinks she ought to sleep. For when one has no time, it is best to sleep on it. Sleeping always eats up time, thus one then has it."

"I see," Diana said, not at all understanding and carrying onto something else. "I hope your issue with time gets straightened out, I truly do, but I am currently looking for a lost rabbit-" and of course she had to be interrupted once more. It seemed one could not carry a conversation out here without being rudely disrupted.

"I've forgotten how things could once be straight," Amanda said, a small frown gracing her lips. She picked up a spoon that was slightly bent, just like all the utensils here. "Everything has been bent out of shape because times have changed. Even my watch." At this she pulled out her pocket watch and showed it to Diana who saw the hands on the watch face were crooked and still, stuck on three pm, or otherwise tea time. "Even my sight is crooked now. It is troubling. I can't quite stir my tea right. So I have to stir it left. But then it all leaves me!" Amanda said in distraught as she pulled out a long object to stir her tea with, splashing it all over the messy table tops. "Perhaps I should quit my use of tea leaves, as tea bags cannot  _leave_  as readily."

"That's my wand!" Diana said in astonishment. So that was the 'terrifying thing' that Cheshire had said that was here. If only Diana could get it back- her hands itched to touch it. Could she just ask for it? She hardly doubted that would go over well but what other choice did she have?

"Your what now?" Amanda asked in annoyance as she stirred all her tea away and stared grumpily at her empty cup. "Don't spout nonsense. It is unbecoming of a young girl like you. Only a tea pot should spout, that is it's job. If it doesn't do it, then who else shall? I shudder to think of plates spouting food at me."

Oh, so now Diana was a young girl again? Diana decided to let this slide.

"I beg your pardon but that object in your hand is something that belongs to me."

"It most certainly is not!" Amanda said stiffly, tucking the object into the lip of her hat. "I found it and it is mine."

"Just because you found it does not mean it is rightfully yours."

"Then you do not understand how the rules of this place work."

"Then enlighten me if you will."

"Simple. What is mine is mine even if it isn't mine."

"But that is just theft!" Diana exclaimed, losing patience for this character.

"Do you ever shut up?" Amanda asked nastily. "I don't recall plants being as stubborn or talkative as you."

"That is because I am not a plant!" Diana couldn't resist from loudly saying. She could slowly feel her last sense of self control eroding in face of one of the most irritating characters she had met yet. It probably didn't help that she and Amanda had been the last to befriend each other from the friend group back at Luna Nova, because the girl had gone out of her way to give the blonde hell previously. Diana still saw the delinquent as troublesome and quarrelsome even when she wasn't trying to be.

"But you're quite plaintive- aren't you?" Amanda said, as if this would help her win the argument.

"I would like my wand back!" Diana insisted. "It is mine, and I need it and I can't go anywhere without it."

"But you've been going about just fine without it all this time," cut in an amused voice and Diana turned to see that Sucy had reappeared at the head of the table, lazily swirling a spoon in her cup, head propped up in her hand.

"That comment is not helping me!"

"Don't be mad- that's the hatter's job," Sucy reprimanded. "You should be focused on getting your wand."

"That was what I was trying to do before you rudely interrupted!"

"If one doesn't want to be interrupted then they should speak with a kind tongue and always have snacks for others," Sucy said sagely before drinking her tea. Then she turned her eyes to the dormouse next to her and licked her lips hungrily. She reached a hand out to snag Constantine when Jasminka smacked her hand away. Sucy hissed in pain but didn't learn her lesson for she tried again in the next couple of seconds, all while Jasminka was blatantly watching her. Sucy wasn't even trying to be sneaky.

Huffing angrily, for Diana was no closer to getting the wand, she turned her attentions back to the Mad Hatter who was tossing sugar cubes at random objects on the table, making even more of a mess than there already was.

Hmm...maybe Diana could offer Amanda help with her watch...and perhaps the girl would give her wand back as a reward. "Mad Hatter, what if I were to help you. Would you let me have my wand back?"

"That depends, is the help good or bad?"

"Help can only ever be good," Diana countered.

"Ah, yes, well, we thought that the Queen of Hearts was helping us but really she was only helping herself and letting us think she was helping us which lead to bad help since no help is a most horrendous of issues," Amanda explained, now taking to shoving another cup of tea at Diana, this one with a whole pile of sugar in it. Then she grabbed another one and held it out towards Jasminka who took it and began to drink earnestly from it.

"Cheshire, would you like something to drink?" Amanda asked to which Sucy shook her head no. "I'd much rather eat, but I'm sure you would not approve." She reached out once more to Dormouse and Jasminka once more slapped her hand away, starting another war of slapping and flailing hands.

Amanda was completely unaware that her friend's life was in danger, instead having a conversation over Diana's head about something inane. "Cheshire, have you heard any news?"

"I have heard any news, but also many news, and all the news and no news, all at once but never twice and most certainly not trice. What would you like to hear first?"

"I'd like to hear what came first."

"Well, who really knows what comes first? Was it the chicken? Or the egg?"

"Hatter-" Diana really didn't have time for this. She wanted her wand back so she could leave this terrible arrangement.

All at once the Hatter jumped up, startling Diana so badly she nearly dropped her cup. Jasminka and even Cheshire also stood up and and switched seats calmly, like this was nothing out of the ordinary. It took Constantine a while longer to switch for she had to half awake up and then groggily find a new seat and sit down. Diana also had to find a new seat on the opposite side of the table so she could be a part of the conversation once more. The table guests kept talking like nothing had occurred.

"What just happened?" Diana pondered and Dormouse, who was still partially awake, slide her a note. On it it said 'We do this for it is always tea time and we move around the table so we have fresh tea to drink and fresh food to eat'.

This, did not make any more sense than Diana expected it to, so she turned her attentions back on the Mad Hatter who was now telling some sort of a quip.

"Why is the raven like a writing desk?"

"Oh, what a good one. Do tell, do you have an answer?" Sucy asked, now tiptoeing her fingers over to Dormouse, only to be encumbered by Jasminka's heavy hand crushing them under her loud slap, one that shook the table tops but did not wake Constantine who had effortlessly fallen asleep. Diana envied her in this moment. She wished she too could be blissfully unaware of all this.

Sucy didn't wince in pain, only smiled wider and retracted her hand for now.

"No, no one ever has an answer to that. Plant, do you know why a raven is like a writing desk?"

Diana didn't have an answer to that, but she was going to try. Even if it was a waste of time she couldn't resist trying a smart aleck answer. "Because their both in a joke you've made?"

"Don't be silly. It's not a joke I made. It is a very serious crisis that is affecting this world! People like you have utterly no respect for people like us. You just all think we can be easily disposed of!"

"I don't think that at all!" Diana said, getting a bit insulted now. "Do you think so lowly of me-"

"And do you think so highly of yourself-" Amanda countered as she lazily spun Diana's wand in her grip and used it to cut up some butter and put it into her tea before she slid the cup over to Diana who ignored it.

"I am a Cavendish, it only makes sense that I am on a higher pedestal and to be respected-"

"-more than those who have nothing, who are the first of their kind?" Amanda jerked her nose up, picking up a pot of hot tea and pouring some on Constantine's head to wake the girl up. Instead of screaming in pain because the hot liquid should scald her skin, the girl yawned silently and sat up, her eyes still drooping tiredly. "Wake up, Dormouse. You haven't heard my riddle. Why is the raven like a writing desk?"

Constantine pulled out a note card from within the folds of her shirt and handed it to the Mad Hatter who read it quickly. "Unless something is written it will never take flight."

"How comical," Cheshire said as both she and Mad Hatter began to chortle. Diana found it rude they were laughing at their friend like that, but Dormouse didn't seem to mind. All she did was go back to sleep.

Diana waited impatiently for them to finish before she started. "Hatter, I can repair time for you."

"You can?" Hatter said, suddenly wildly intrigued.

"Yes, just give me your watch," Diana stuck out her hand in demand and the hatter handed the watch over.

The blonde flipped it over while everyone sat quietly at the table. Diana was certain that all the watch needed was a good winding up, or a jostling of the batteries or something. She felt slightly pressured from all the stares directed at her, Sucy even stopping bothering Dormouse to peer in interest. Yet, Diana was right. She found a little knob on the side and gave it a good crank a couple of times and a steady ticking noise came from the watch as it began to run again.

"Mercy! Mercy!" Hatter exclaimed as she jumped out of her chair, grabbed the watch, and began to prance around the table, one hand holding onto her hat as she cheered gleefully. "I'm free from this blasted table! I'm free! I can go where I please!"

Her loud cheers were interrupted by the sound of thudding hooves. On a white horse Andrew arrived, instantly pausing Amanda in her rejoicing. "The Knave of Hearts!" she cried out, paling a bit in the face. Next to Diana, Jasminka also stiffened up. And the Cheshire cat took to disappearing. "Well, it was a treat while it lasted, or so I should say." Not even her grin remained as she left hurriedly. Dormouse of course stayed slumbering.

"Mad Hatter, March Hare and Dormouse, you have all been decreed to join the Queen's ball," Andrew announced, unrolling a long scroll and reading from it. "Failure to comply to it will result in the loss of all your heads and then some more." He rolled the scroll back up as Amanda stood shaking in her boots.

"I will never go! Never I declare!" And with that she threw the wand that she had placed back in her hat at Andrew whose head it went sailing over and then she ran, prompting him to chase her on horse back.

The panicked and frightened girl jumped onto the table, disrupting the already messy set up as she scrambled over it and off to some path behind her house. Andrew kicked his horse and with a loud neigh it leapt over the table and right onto a track chasing Amanda down. Diana felt like the horse was over her head in slow motion and she watched in amazement, worried it could hit her head, but as soon it landed, she snapped into action, rushing over to where her wand had last been seen. And thankfully, it was stuck in a pair of bushes this time. She quickly retrieved it, and not sparing a second glance at the mess that was left behind, she finally decided to leave and try to track Akko down once more.


	5. The Queen of Hearts

* * *

_Off with your head_   
_Dance 'til you're dead_   
_Heads will roll on the floor- Yeah Yeah Yeahs_

* * *

Diana was unquestionably, undoubtedly, and absolutely, lost. Ever since she had left that horrid tea party to go to the Queen's ball she had been wandering aimlessly around the unchanging woods with no hint as to the course of action she should take. And there was no magical creature or enchanted fork to show her the way now. Maybe she shouldn't have run off as hastily as she had. While she had her wand, she didn't know of any spells that could help alleviate this crisis. For that was what it was at this point. A crisis.

No matter how far she walked, it remained a singular path of despair that awaited her. What she wouldn't give to have someone direct her in this twisted forest. It appeared that without anyone here to offer her some clues, she was stuck in limbo and that was something certainly worse than the infuriating conversations she had with the creatures who resided here. Because at least in the conversations she could work her way through them, but being utterly lost was something else.

Sighing in agitation, she decided to turn off the path. Maybe that would work better? She ducked down off the gravel walkway and pushed past some trees that stood in her way. As soon as she exited them she noticed that now she was standing in front of a moat that led to a grand castle all decorated in red and black hearts. There was no question as to who lived there.

"Well, that is certainly convenient," she declared, not at all mad at this fortunate turn of events just at how long it took for it to happen. She strode past the dog headed guards at the entrance who did not pay her any mind as she warily walked past them. Past the moat and castle walls there was a garden of red roses, all pretty things but upon closer inspection they had deadly thorns and were entirely made of robotic parts.  _How odd_ , Diana frowned. The roses seemed to be pulsing with some sort of angry red energy.

She decided that staying away from them might be a good idea. Then, following a small trail in between the flowers, she came to a flat space of area in which a large number of guests were attending, talking and carrying around flamingos under their arms. Most of them Diana did not recognize, a huge portion of them having animal heads and human bodies. A few she did know, such as the twins (which she promptly avoided), the Mad Hatter ( so it seemed Amanda had gotten caught) and Lotte, who upon noting Diana, rushed over to her.

"There you are! I thought you had run into a spot of trouble!"

"I did."

"I was worried for you!" Lotte pronounced as she squeezed tight Diana's hands.

"I apologize if I have worried you."

"Don't do it again. You almost came close to losing your head!"

"I did?" Diana inquired this time, arching her brow in disbelief.

"The queen said that if you didn't come in the next five minutes than she would have to cut your head off because you were tardy and it is entirely not fashionable to be of the tardy variety."

Lotte seemed genuinely worried over this, but Diana had her wand so she wasn't in any real danger now. "And who is this queen?" she asked a bit pompously. She would tell her a thing or two.

"Talking about me behind my back? I should have your head for that Duchess," a sharp and cool voice cut in and Lotte jumped in shock at the appearance of the queen of Hearts herself. It was none other than Croix, dressed in an expensive looking red and black dress that was naturally patterned with hearts. And on her head sat a small crown. In her hand she held a smart phone and was texting furiously on it while her gaze was maintained steadily on a Lotte who shrunk nervously under her gaze.

Croix was queen here. How interesting.

"But I will not," she conceded graciously. Lotte let out a breath of relief. Croix than turned to Diana. "However, I should have  _your_  head, for you do not know who I am. But I will not do it, for I have to see how you ball."

"And if I do not intend to play ball?" Diana bravely asked, feeling like Croix was a very wishwashy queen, flopping back and forth on her decisions.

"Then I shall have your head because you are not having fun. And if you are not having fun then why have a head in the first place?"

Diana could make various smart points on why having a head was good but wisely didn't pursue the topic further. "So I have to play?"

"Yes. And against me," the queen nodded her head sternly.

"Very well." Diana knew this was some sort of next task that awaited her so she would do it if only to progress forwards, but she would not have to enjoy it.

"Oh, do be careful, the queen is a dreadful sport," Lotte whispered fearfully to Diana.

"I shall do my best," Diana responded with before she followed the queen on her way to where their match would be held. They arrived at some cricket arches and immediately were handed flamingos to be used by the gofers that stood by.

"Flamingos?" Diana grimaced.

"Is there something wrong with my tastes?" Croix asked, taking her own and snatching some hedgehog balls to be used. All of these animals were made from nanobots, which again Diana found strange but did not comment on.

"What game is this? What are the rules?"

"Do not make me laugh. You already know the rules of this game," and with that the queen had closed the discussion on the rules. All Diana could do was resign herself to this clueless game and watched as the queen went first. The game seemed to consist of trying to hit the hedgehog through the arches although the critters were not all too happy to be used like that so they would roll away or crawl to the side of the flamingo mallet. It took the queen quite a bit of time to get any of her balls to go through.

When she was done it was Diana's turn. She didn't like the thought of hurting any of the creatures in the game so she hesitated to make a move. "I apologize for any pain caused," she said preemptively. But before she could hit the ball the queen screamed out, making Diana miss her hit.

"Off with her head!"

"What was that for?" she asked, disgruntled.

"I can't have you getting  _ahead_  of me, thus I must remove your  _head_ ," the queen reasoned. "Guards take her to court."

"What!?" Diana cried out as two guards came up to her. They both had the heads of men but their bodies were made of playing cards from the heart suite.

"Unhand me!" she protested as she struggled in their surprisingly strong grasp.

"My queen!" cried out a third guard who came rushing up, tired and out of breath. "We've found someone stealing your tarts!"

"My tarts?" she echoed in an incredulous and high pitched voice. "Who?"

"We've apprehended the individual and they are awaiting trial."

"Drop all the executions and gather all the guests to the court. We shall have our trial!" with that the queen stomped away and Diana found herself free from the guards hold as they no longer deemed her of interest anymore and went to round up the guests.

 _That was a lucky break._  Diana was contemplating leaving this castle entirely when she heard a giggle from behind her. It was the Cheshire cat's mouth, floating unnervingly close to her ear. "Leaving so soon? Aren't you the least bit worried about who might have committed the crime?"

And with those words Diana had a sinking feeling; she knew who she might find in that court. "Akko," she sighed. "Hold on, I'm coming to help."

The inside of the court was chaotic, all of the guests chattering over one another. The queen sat in the judges seat, the Knave of hearts by her pedestal and Akko sitting awaiting trial in the defendants table. She looked downcast, her rabbit ears dropping. In the middle of the court were the tarts in question. They looked fine; unscathed. Diana couldn't understand what the fuss was about.

"Silence, silence in the court!" Croix shouted out, banging her gavel, and the crowd quieted down. Diana couldn't find a seat to sit at. The only open space was the chair by Akko where her lawyer should rightfully be.

"Will the defendant rise."

Akko stood up, trembling all over. She had a little bunny tail that Diana noticed for the first time. It looked really cute on her.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Croix glared angrily at Akko.

"I never meant to eat them, it's just that I haven't eaten anything in so long and-"

"Silence! You cannot speak without a representative!"

Akko cowered at this.

"Will anyone speak for her?" Croix asked and eyed the crowd evilly as if daring them to even speak out against her. And no one did, afraid of the queen's wrath. But Diana wasn't.

"I'll protect her," she walked up bravely.

"You!" Croix growled. "And what qualifications do you have?"

"I am Diana Cavendish, that speaks for itself."

"Diana Radish?" The knave of hearts mocked and shared a cruel laugh with the queen, the court all joining in.

Diana's hands curled in on themselves, and she tried to not let their laughter get to her. Her name had never been mocked like this before.

"Why, she is just a mere plant," shouted out an all too familiar voice from the crowd and Diana turned her glare on Amanda who was gaffing loudly.

"Plants do not have a voice in this court," the queen explained.

"I am not a mere plant!"

"But your last name is Radish!" The knave insisted.

"It is not my last name! You just made it up right now!"

"I find that accusation false. I move that we rule she be called Radish," the knave insisted and the queen banged her gavel on the pedestal top to make it so.

"All in favor of calling her Radish?"

"Aye." Everyone in their crowd picked their hands up, even Akko.

"Akko!" Diana huffed, more scandalized than she thought she would be by the smaller girl's action. "I thought you were on my side."

"I am on your side. Your right side, to be accurate," the girl looked up innocently, her nose twitching adorably. So even Akko was getting carried away with the madness here. How unfortunate.

"That's not what I meant- never mind," Diana closed her eyes and could feel her headache making a comeback.

"So, we are agreed upon that Akko is guilty of trying to eat my tarts and that she should be sentenced to death by hanging."

Diana's eyes flew open in shock, while Akko sat calmly humming thoughtlessly to herself.

"No, wait!" Diana cried out in panic, reaching a hand out. There was no way she was going to let Akko die! "You cannot do that to her! This wasn't a fair trial."

"With no one to represent her-"

"I will represent her," the Knave of Hearts spoke, interrupting the queen.

What? Since when was Andrew on Akko's side? Wasn't he supposed to be really loyal to the queen?

"Very well. Protect her case," the queen said calmly and not hurt by his sudden switch.

Andrew walked over to stand on the other side of Akko, his metal armor clacking loudly in the quiet of the court.

"Yay! Andrew, you've come to save me!" Akko exclaimed excitedly.

 _How come I didn't get that reaction?_ Diana felt hurt but now was no time to think over that. So she pushed her jealousy aside, hoping that maybe Andrew could do something to save Akko. Diana would rather be the hero, but it seemed she was an irrelevant plant.

"Your majesty," Andrew began gravelly, his voice booming around the court room. "It was  _I_  who wanted to eat the tarts."

There came loud shocked gasps from all around the court room, the loudest from the queen herself. "Andrew!" she cried out, appalled.

"It is true. But I could not help myself, for I am in love. And when in love I want to eat tarts." He hung his head in shame.

"And who is this love of yours? Quickly, tell me so I may cut their head off!"

"It is this fair bunny here," at this Andrew dropped to his knees and grasped Akko's hand in his own. Her eyes lit up like a ton of fireworks. "Me?" she breathed out as if she had just won the Nobel Prize.

"What?" Diana gasped out, tensing up at the scene unraveling next to her. Andrew was in love with Akko?

"I knew when I saw her that I had to have her. She brings me joy like no one else. And so I want to marry her." He looked up at her, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Marriage?" Diana squeaked out.

"Oh, Andrew," Akko said dreamily, blushing happily.

"What do you say, Akko? Will you marry me? Will you do it for our kids?" At that a stroller was pushed into the room, Lotte pushing it. In it were two kids, a boy and a girl with their features matching to their respective parents.

"Kids?" Diana asked in a pitch that was sure to break glass if there was any around.

"Andrew, you know that I will. Andrew, I will-"

At this, Diana felt cold dread and her body reacted before she could even fully think her actions out. She grabbed Akko by her free hand and tugged her away and out of the courtroom, which was now a mess of yelling people. The two girls tore them the redundant halls, Diana feeling like she had just evaded some terrible emotional ruin. But while Diana held on tightly to Akko and pulled her along, Akko stumbled to follow after her, brows furrowed up.

"Diana, what are you doing?" Akko asked in confusion.

"I'm getting you away, to safety," Diana reasoned, or at least that was what she had convinced herself with.

"But I was safe with Andrew." Those words paused Diana mid way down the stairs. Those words  _stung_. Here she had been trying to save Akko, when maybe Akko didn't want to be saved after all this time.

"I thought we were friends," she said softly.

"But friends don't feel such a way. Andrew doesn't, so he makes me feel safe. But you...you feel like that and that is why I am afraid," Akko said timidly, pulling her hand out of Diana's like the blonde's hand was fire. Akko clutched her hand to her chest.

"I feel  _what_  way?" Diana furrowed her brows. What was wrong with being affronted by Akko's apparent distrust of her? Or was Akko talking about something else completely.

" _That_  way. And if you feel  _that_  way then sooner or later you'll find out I feel the same way and then things will get complicated and I'm nervous to let it get complicated. I liked how things were. Simple and easy."

Diana was aware that the howls of some sort of mob was ricocheting off of the castle walls and that the queen must have sent people after them to apprehend them. They had to leave soon, but Akko wasn't trusting of Diana, which was infuriating. The girl always respected Diana's words and actions and plans.

"They were never simple and easy with us. We used to be on opposite ends." Diana still wasn't sure what Akko was worried about so it was really hard to reassure her. "But now we are friends."

Akko shook her head ardently. "You only think us friends. But you know that is not true." She couldn't meet the blonde's eyes.

Diana was worried. Had her beliefs that they were friends, truly been one sided? Did Akko only want to be friends with Andrew because she thought he was kind and funny? But Diana was that too. She could be so much more. If only Akko could see.

"Akko," Diana grabbed the girl's hands. "Let us discuss this later. If we do so now then we will get caught." She wordlessly hoped the girl would comply and when she shook her head minutely, Diana took that as a yes and rushed them off down the halls at a break neck speed. The howls had grown louder and in panic, Diana pulled them into a side room. Slamming the door shut behind them she looked around for something to hide in and spotted a huge ornate closet. She quickly pulled the two of them inside and shut the door, letting them stay in complete darkness. It was so dark, Diana had a hard time making heads or tails of what was in here, but she felt the wood of the door on her finger tips and she could hear Akko's slightly breathless gasps as she tried to regain her air.

The chatter of the crowd came louder and louder as they approached the door. Diana held her breath, worried. She knew she had her wand- something she only remembered about sparsely unhelpfully- but it would be no match against such a large mass. So they had to wait it out. Several heartbeats stretched out as the crowd clamored around the door hungrily but did not make an attempt to go past it. Diana could make out Andrew's strong voice.

"We will find my lovely Akko. She is my betrothed." He sounded angry. "Onward." Then he marched away, the crowd following him.

When the last traces of them left, Diana was ready to exit the closet and find a path out of the castle and back to those mushroom woods where she could find a way back to the regular part of the woods.

"Let's go," Diana blindly reached for Akko's hand, when she felt two strong hands on her shoulders.

"I'm not ready to leave yet. I cannot come out with you." Her voice sounded almost like she was pleading.

"Akko, do not worry, I will protect you."

"I do not doubt you will. But  _I_  cannot protect you. I do not feel ready yet. Or strong enough."

Really, this was not the time for Akko to grow timid. "Akko-"

"Let's take a different path." The pressure on Diana's shoulders grew and she found herself being pushed to what she assumed was the back of the closet, an even darker if possible, part of the furniture. The dark was thick here and heavy. It felt oddly sticky here. It was like it was...wet?

How was it possible that darkness was wet?

"Akko?" Diana called out uncertainly.

"I'm here." Akko's breath billowed out on Diana's nose and then suddenly neither of them was standing on solid ground anymore and it was wet all around them.

"Akko!" Diana cried out in panic as the rush of water surrounded her and was she falling in water? But from where? And in a closet of all places?

"Whee!" Akko cried out gleefully while Diana only screamed as they fell into a dark abyss of wetness.


	6. The Exit at the End of the Woods

* * *

_When I lay my head down_  
to go to sleep at night  
My dreams consist of things  
that'll make you wanna hide.

_Take me ta' wonderland!- Natasha Kills_

* * *

Diana didn't know what to expect at the end of the sudden water ride, if it ended at all that is, but she found a bright light at the end of the tunnel that grew brighter and brighter the closer she got to it until she was out and airborne. Her eyes shut due to the sudden glare. She had no idea where she exited from but when she felt the impact of her body hitting a body of water, her eyes shot open and from what she could make of her sudden blurry and blue surroundings, she was in water. She surfaced as soon as she could, taking in deep gulps of air. She found that she had somehow ended up in the castle's moat.

"Akko?" she called out, worried that the other had drowned. But Akko was already swimming up to the edge and pulling herself out. Diana threaded after her, and sat on the grass, wringing her clothes to the best of her ability. Akko was doing the same.

"Are you okay?" Diane asked and decided it would be more efficient to use her wand. She pulled it out and dried herself quickly with a simple spell, leaving her dress clean and her hair springy once more.

"You made me wet," Akko huffed, puffing her cheeks out and looking a cross between upset but playfully so. Her clothes stuck to her skin intimately and her ears were drooping because they were heavy with water.

"Um, I'm sorry?" Diana questioned. Hadn't it been Akko who had pushed them in? "Would you like me to dry you?"

"No. I rather like this." Akko turned her nose up, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Okay," Diana said for a lack of anything better to say. "But are you sure? You could get sick-"

"Oh dear!" A loud cry sounded to their right and Diana snapped her head quickly to see who the intruder was, worried it was someone from the mob. But it was only Lotte. Lotte who was blushing and hiding her face with her hands but doing so badly because her eyes were peeking out. "How shameless," she commented.

Diana decided not to waste any brain power on deciphering that statement. She rose to her feet and extended a hand to the brunette. "Come Akko, we need to leave while we still can."

But Akko only pouted further and stayed sitting on the ground, refusing the hand offered. "I've already come with you once. How greedy can you be?"

"Excuse me?" What was Akko going on now?

"How absolutely shameless!" Lotte input unhelpfully. "Diana do you have no respect for a lady? A young hapless lady?"

"Excuse me?" Diana asked in exasperation this time.

"But I do rather like it when you offer me your hand, so do keep doing so." Akko said and sprung up to her feet, a wide grin on her face. "Okay, Diana?" She cutely tilted her head at this and Diana couldn't help but blush. Those bunny ears were entirely too good a look on Akko. "Andrew has offered me a hand, but I cannot accept both, so will you cut his off for me?"

"A-Akko-?!" Diana was a bit horrified at the gore Akko was implying but didn't have time to reprimand the girl for the thud of hooves entered the range of her hearing. And that could only mean one thing.

"Andrew!" A moment later he jumped over the two girls head on his white majestic mount. Diana ducked down, pulling Akko down with her to avoid getting kicked in the head.

He landed down by them and slid off his horse as soon as it circled around to face them.

"There you are- you have stolen my precious Akko from me! Will you return her?"

"Never!" Diana cried out, not understanding why she was so opposed to Andrew having Akko. She pushed the bunny behind her and held her wand out in front of her defensively. She just knew Andrew shouldn't have her.

"Remember Diana, you must be honest and earnest. Tell the truth," Lotte shouted out from the side lines as now the group of characters was standing in a grassy rink of sorts, with lines drawn in the grass and the moat and castle gone. "That is the only way Akko will understand you."

"But I do not understand myself, so how can she expect to do so?" Diana countered. What was it that Akko needed to know? Was it how Diana no longer saw her as entirely incompetent? Or was it something else? Something...more that she was afraid to touch with her conscious mind?

"Change..." whispered a voice on the breeze and Diana noticed it came from the empty discarded shell of a cocoon that no doubt belonged to the caterpillar.

"The life of a petty insect is short," another voice said and Diana could see the shadow of the Chariot butterfly hovering over her but when she looked up nothing was there.

"Illusions...don't break our illusion. Don't break  _your_  illusion," Hannah and Barbara said in unison, standing with their hands clasped together, eyeing Diana from the sidelines.

"Don't listen to them, Diana. Be honest. Or else you will lose yourself," Lotte encouraged.

"Can anyone be trusted? Whose voice can you listen to?" Sucy's words floated off to the right.

"Argh," Diana grunted out in frustration. "Just...give me some time." Why were all these characters appearing now and saying all this? She had a fight with Andrew to start and finish.

"Time cannot be trusted. You think you have enough but then it leaves you and all you can do is be stuck in limbo," Amanda said solemnly as she strode over to join Lotte's side, Jasminka by her side, Constanze hauled over her shoulder, the smaller girl still knocked out succinctly.

Diana's head began to pound in pain. "My head," she groaned out as she rubbed it, worried that it might explode from the vicious pulsing in it.

"Does your head hurt? It might help if I cut it off," Croix offered. Diana ignored that idea.

"Diana, remember, do what your heart tells you to do," Akko finally pipped up from behind Diana, giving the girl a soggy hug from the back. "I always follow it and it has lead me on a path to daylight. Allowed me to touch the sky." Her words were warm despite the coldness clinging to her damp skin and clothes. They helped to ease Diana's headache substantially.

"I see you will not relent easily. For who could when such tarts tempt them. I myself am not safe from their sweet call." Andrew sighed heavily as he unsheathed the sword by his side. The blade shone brightly in the afternoon light, the setting sun's glow catching on the steel and making it look slightly red. "It is a shame you are my rival, for I never imagined you to be one. Only you saw me as one."

"What do you mean? You hunted me down for Akko. You wanted to hurt me!" Diana shouted out across the field.

"Did I? Or did you only hurt yourself with such assumptions? One only hears what they want or expect to hear." Andrew shook his head sadly. "And now I must fight you for that which is already yours. No one else had claimed it before you. No one could ever stand to your claim."

So, Diana's friendship with Akko was safe? That was a relief. But the sharp object in Andrew's hand was not. He was threatening to hurt the blonde with it, and she really did not want to have to hurt him to get him to not hurt her. Diana leveled her wand at him, hoping to knock him out with a harmless sleeping spell but her wand was no longer in her hand. It had transformed into a long sharp blade, with a curved handle and red diamond inlaid in the hilt.

"Well...sh..splendid," Diana stopped herself from cursing at the last moment. Really, her day could not be going any better.

"Ready?" Andrew clenched the blade tighter and lowered his stance a little.

"In the only way I can be," Diana replied with and mimicked his actions. She had no idea how to sword fight. She wasn't a knight and here Andrew was; a clear disadvantage awaited her along with some serious damage.  _But he's not really Andrew. No one here is who you really know them to be. They are just fakes._   _Except for Akko. I need to protect her._

"Off with her head Andrew, or else it's yours on the line," Croix reminded him. He nodded his head grimly and then without another word rushed right at Diana.

Diana felt panic clench at her heart but she was worried for Akko behind her. "Akko, stay back!" she warned and then lifted both hands around her sword to parry Andrew's incoming blow. It rattled her bones and Diana tried not to wince in pain. She only hoped Akko had moved to safety for Diana didn't dare move her line of sight away from Andrew.

"If only you could stop doubting yourself than this would all end," Andrew told her and then struck again, Diana successfully blocking his blow for a second time. But would her luck hold?

"Doubting myself? I am a Cavendish. I do not need to doubt myself." But that was a lie. There had been countless times that she had doubted herself. That she had felt inadequate to do anything. A failure to her prestigious family name.

"You are cowardly. Fearing to name that which you know the name for. You are weak. You don't deserve happiness if you cannot even make yourself whole again. You know why you are only half of who you are, but you won't find that second half of yours."

"Andrew, I do not understand what you are saying- if you could explain to me-"

"You do not understand because you choose not to understand," he countered and swung his blade once, twice, trice, all with such force that he nearly knocked the blade out of Diana's hands. She had to take steps back in order to regain some ground, the power behind his hits making her almost lose her balance.

"Why would I choose to purposely not understand anything?"

"Because you are scared. And fear always makes us smaller than we truly are. Don't you remember what happened last time? With Chariot?"

Ah, yes, memories. Diana recalled admiring Chariot deeply as a child. She was her idol, and to this day still somewhat of that even if Diana had buried her admiration under bricks and bricks of sensibility. But there had been more than admiration there. Diana hadn't know at first, but when she had enthused about the woman to her mother, her mother had smiled softly because she knew. She knew what it all meant and when she told Diana, the blonde got scared. Scared because surely this wasn't who she was. She wasn't  _that_.

"Oh." Suddenly all of Andrew's words made sense. In fact, all of the conversations began to make more sense. Every single one of them. Every single character had been more or less telling her the same thing but in different ways and in different formats; had been giving her clues about her insecurities and her fears. She needed to change perspectives to understand this new feeling. She needed to be honest because only then would she come to terms with this feeling, to stop living in an illusion. She couldn't hide it away, or else she would only be half a person. For her feelings were a part of her no matter what they were and if she only locked them away then she wasn't living life fully as a true person. And time...she didn't have a lot of time if she wanted to get through to Akko. Because Akko would misunderstand her feelings the longer she waited.

Akko always followed her heart and it was time Diana did too. She had to stop doubting her feelings, to stop being afraid to voice her thoughts. Even if she might 'lose her head' over it, become less rational, it was okay because Akko felt the same as she did, or something along those lines, as Akko herself had clearly pointed out in the castle not too long ago. Akko was worried that things would get complicated and maybe they would, but Diana would be there every step of the way. She was never one to do things halfway.

Power seemed to flood through Diana's core and into her arms and suddenly she was the one swinging at Andrew, forcing him backwards. She pushed his blade this way and that and he stumbled to keep up with her. "You are right. I shouldn't doubt myself. I know it will be hard not to do so, but I shall trust in myself. And I shall not lock my feelings away. For I do not intend to lose her to anyone, not even you, Andrew, despite what your relationship truly is like."

A smile grew on the handsome boy's face. "I was hoping to hear that."

And then Diana raised her blade up high, the boy not even attempting to stop her and she knocked the blade out of his hands.

Applause came from the sidelines and Diana stood over Andrew's fallen figure- had she knocked him over like that?- had she become  _that_  strong?- breathing harshly through her nose. Then she pocketed her sword which had become her wand again and turned to Akko with a smile on her face.

It seemed she had fallen down this rabbit hole and with Akko of all people. But she wasn't scared anymore. Because it was Akko. And she couldn't have asked for a better person to join her on this journey. She extended a hand to the bunny, who had a smile plastered onto her face doltishly. "Let's go home Akko. We've had enough of an adventure for today."

"Gladly I'll come with you."

A red blush spread on Diana's cheeks. That was another thing she had realized shortly. The double meaning behind Akko's recent phrasing, all starting from that moment in the closet. She wasn't sure if Akko was doing it on purpose-surely the girl couldn't be. "Uh, yes." She coughed awkwardly as she tried to steer clear from thoughts of such a nature. It was too early for that. Then Akko took her hand and the two of them walked across the field, waving their goodbyes to those all there.

"Goodbye, I shall miss you!" Akko cheered to similar cries.

Diana was sure she wasn't going to miss them, but she did owe them her gratitude for helping clear things up in her personal life. So she gave them grateful smiles. They soon left the familiar characters on the field and found themselves traveling a worn path.

They had no words for one another, both feeling quite drained by the experience. Right now they were just basking in the feeling of completion of finishing this odd journey and in the sweet thoughts of finally going home. Surely Diana would have to deal with the issue of what to do about her new found emotions, but there was no rush. She didn't want to make Akko uncomfortable.

All too soon they reached the mushroom forest and the point in which Diana had entered through. Somehow their feet knew the right direction, but their footsteps lagged the closer they got. It was strange...but they almost didn't want to leave now. They paused a couple of steps away from where the exit was and stood their uncertainly. Almost sheepishly they looked at one another, thinking the same thoughts.

"I never thought I wouldn't want to leave this place, but I suppose new things happen each day," Diana said softly. Somehow the two of their hands had woven together into a tight grip as they walked.

"I know and there was so much trouble to be had."

"You were the one who started all the trouble, running after that bunny and all," Diana wrinkled her nose playfully. "But I'm glad to have found you. I realized a lot of things about myself and I wanted to talk to you about them."

"Right. Me too. I-" Akko paused at this, her eyes opening wide. "The mushroom!" she smacked the side of her head. "I forgot all about it."

Diana wanted to groan out loud. Of course, the stupid mushroom. The thing that had started all this. "Are you sure we cannot just leave it behind? I'll just help Sucy find another one."

But Akko's shocked and horrified expression died down. "I think I know where it is." With that she leaned over and plucked the chunk of mushroom still in Diana's pocket. Splitting it open, inside was another mushroom. The exact same one that was Sucy's. "Ah ha!" Akko cried out triumphantly. "I knew it had to be close by. I could smell it."

And indeed Diana could smell it now too. It smelled horrid and it made her nose twitch and her eyes water. "Akko, put it away." Diana didn't even bother to try to explain to herself why that mushroom was there, and how she had had it all this time when she could have just avoided this- no, she was not going to think about this at all. It would only raise her blood pressure.

But Akko didn't do so. "Maybe I will, if you tell me what it is you wanted to tell me," she stated coyly.

"Akko," Diana huffed but with no real anger. "I think you know what it is. You knew before I did."

"Yes, but I want to hear it from your mouth. I want it to make me emboldened; to make me brave enough to face my own fears of what it all means." Akko looked timid again and she was flushing.

Diana felt her own face heat up, but she had promised herself she would be brave and honest, hadn't she? And so filled with a sudden weird bravery brought on by this place, she parted her lips to speak.

"Akko," she said slowly, swallowing down to clear her dry throat. She tried to keep her eyes level on the girl who was staring intently at her. The world seemed to glow brightly around Diana, almost to a blinding point, making it increasingly hard to make out Akko's face. "Akko, I-I- I think-k I love you," and then the whole scene faded and Diana was aware that she was looking at Akko's face but devoid of her bunny ears and nose.

There was a long silence as the two stared at each other without blinking before Diana heard Sucy's snickering from by her side somewhere. "Well, when I got the mushroom to wake her up with its horrid smell, I hadn't expected her to say that of all things."

"Shh, Sucy don't say that!" Lotte warned, sounding quite embarrassed.

Sucy was here? And Lotte? But they hadn't been here a moment ago...? Diana once more turned back to look at Akko's face which was now beet red and her hair was steaming a bit.

"Huh?" Came out from the brunette's mouth as her brain finally kicked into motion.

Some realization began to dawn on Diana- something she  _really_  didn't like. Her face flared up like the fourth of July before she purposefully turned her back on the young girl and buried her face in her hands.

"Uhhhh," she wailed, embarrassed beyond all beliefs. "Just take me back to wonderland."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, that is the end of that. I'll be posting up a bonus chapter/epilogue explaining away all the symbolism in the story so that it makes more sense. Additionally, I may be posting up a story that will continue on from this point and in how the two girls navigate this new issue. It's tentatively called Breaking the Looking Glass for now.


	7. Resolution and Conclusion?

Diana was mortified. Ever since she had woken up confessing her love for Akko, right to her crush's face, she could barely bare to show her face around school. But Diana wasn't some sort of slacker. She had to go to class to keep up her grades. And despite how badly she wanted to skip class by calling in sick, she had never missed a single day of school no matter how terribly she was ill. Therefore, she couldn't just skip because she felt like she was going to die of embarrassment. She had to tough it out. She was a Cavendish after all. Soon to be future leader of her house. Leaders faced many situations like these and still had to have the courage to show their face in public, had to still be able to lead their people.

But, that didn't mean she couldn't run from people, namely, Akko. When she'd first gone to school after her trip to that dream world she had worried incessantly that everyone in school would know about her verbal slip up, that Sucy or Akko had told everyone and were certainly having a good laugh about it. Diana hadn't slept that night, gnawing on her nails and waffling between knocking on Akko's door and demanding a deal to ensure silence and secrecy, or crawling under the covers of her bed and crying. In the end, she hadn't done anything because she was too torn, and morning had arrived and it was too late to do anything but tough it out.

With bags under her eyes, she whipped her head around in the school hallways, ears straining for the faintest hint of proof that said Akko had told everyone her secret. She didn't hear anything of note but still she was paranoid and on high guard.

"Diana!" Barbara's and Hannah's voice made her jump like a rabbit and she immediately began to question them, words shooting out in rapid fire. "Did you hear anything? Are people talking about me?"

The two girls exchanged odd looks with one another. "No more than the usual."

"Like about how great you are," Hannah supplied.

Diana felt her shoulders relax at that. Her two friends always kept a finger on the pulse of Diana gossip, which meant if they hadn't heard anything yet, than it most likely hadn't been said. She could relax a fraction of her tension. Still, it left the issue of dealing with Akko, which Diana was in no way ready to do. But the talk was to be inevitable. Things needed to be cleared up. Diana had to come up with some genius plan to explain her verbal blunder. She could't have Akko thinking she loved her. That was mortifying. And unacceptable, especially since Akko didn't return those feelings.

"Diana!" Another voice called out, and this one was unmistakable. It belonged to the one and only Akko. Diana froze and began to shake with each frantic footstep she could hear coming up closer to her.

"Diana, are you okay?" Barbara noted with concern.

"You're shaking."

"I-I'm fine," Diana croaked out through a faint sheen of sweat growing on her face. Finding some inner strength within herself, she forced her legs to move and booked it to the classroom. There she would be safe, for the professors didn't allow classroom disruptions. Akko sullenly walked into the room, eyes seeking out the blonde, and Diana immediately glanced down at her notes, keeping her eyes trained there so hard she feared she'd burn holes into the paper.

For the duration of the class she kept her eyes trained away from Akko, despite feeling the shorter girl's eyes on her from time to time, eyes that pleaded Diana to look down. And after class ended, Diana was the first out of the room, packing her supplies in record speeds before tearing it down the hall with as much grace as she could in her panicked state.

Her heart leapt in her chest when she heard Akko faintly call out for her but Diana didn't pause, only resting when she came to her next classroom, dripping in sweat from running all the way here. She leaned against the door frame trying to regain her breath. She knew running from Akko wasn't respectable and she was a Cavendish and should suck up her courage and go talk, but the fact that Akko had been so close made things much different than how it was in Diana's head. Diana had thought she could eventually talk to Akko but now that she really thought about it, that meant having to be close to the girl, having to look her in the eyes, and there was no way Diana was ready for that. Maybe she'd give herself an extra day or two to gather her bravery. Being far from Akko made the issue seem smaller, but having to sit a row away from her made the issue so much larger.

"Diana!"

That familiar cry pierced her ear drums. Diana jumped again, a shiver running down her spine before taking back to her feet and running without looking behind her.

So much for her plans. She needed to stay far away from the brunette.

She resolved to herself then and there, that if she had to avoid Akko for the rest of her time here, she would do it.

* * *

OMAKE: What if Sucy had Ended up in Wonderland

Sucy let out a light groan, rubbing her forehead where a huge welt was on it. She had fallen while chasing down the rabbit which had stolen her prized mushroom. And now she had no idea where she was. For as she looked around all she saw around her were giant mushrooms, all in different colors and shapes. Others would have been freaked out by this situation but not Sucy. Her one uncovered eye got so wide it nearly eclipsed the other features on her face, before it shrunk and a shark toothed smile took place on her lips. She began to laugh evilly, pulling out a chainsaw from her robes.

Who needed that one measly mushroom when she had all these! She revved the machine up before swinging it at the closet mushroom next to her, felling it with one swoop. It fell over with a tremendous earth shaking groan. She didn't waste any time before moving onto the other and the other, carving out a football sized patch in the mushrooms in just mere minutes. She was going to raze this whole forest down.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Akko and Lotte were looking down in worry on their friend who was lying unconscious on the floor but laughing hysterically and making chainsaw noises with her mouth as she revved up an imaginary chainsaw in her hands.

"Uh, do you think she's okay?" Lotte asked, voice small. "What is she dreaming off?"

"As long as it's not about chasing us around with a chainsaw, than I'm okay with anything else." Akko said candidly before she began to tug on Sucy's legs. "Help me get her back to bed."

Together they dragged a still chuckling Sucy out of the woods.

* * *

The hidden meaning behind some of the stuff in the chapters:

Chapter One-  _The conversation between Diana and Ursula when Diana first enters Wonderland_

"But wait-!" Diana extended a hand as if that could do anything. "You still haven't told me anything!"

"Haven't I?" the caterpillar said coyly. " **Change**  is the answer." Her hair began to fall out and from the bald spots that appeared, red fuzz began to grow anew.

"But-!"

"You may want to get a move on before the mushroom wears off, because only once you **switch your perspective will you seek what you find**."

_Since this whole story is basically an allusion to Diana coming to terms with her feelings for Akko, Ursula mentions change and a switch in perspective. This is because Diana has yet to see things for how they are and only if she adopts a different outlook on Akko and stops seeing her as a friend, will things change between them for the better. In that way Diana will find what it is she wants and that is the true Akko._

Chapter Two-  _The conversation between Lotte and Diana_

"Yes, I have many questions to solve. Can you help me with some of them  **earnestly**?"

At this Lotte flushed and put her hands to her cheeks, letting out a girlish scream. "Why-why D-Diana, I can't do such things!"

"Excuse me?" Diana said tiredly, realizing it hadn't been a good idea to get comfortable since it seemed no one here was safe from being quirky.

"Those are things you want to do with Akko! Not with me! I cannot be  **earnest**  with you!"

"With Akko?" Diana furrowed her brows, confusion etched upon her features.

" **She's the only one who you want to do it with anyways**!"

"I don't understand- I merely want to find her and bring her back with me to Luna Nova. I was only going to ask if you could show me the way to her."

"I can't show you such things!" Lotte squealed once more, shutting her eyes tight and blushing all the more. "I am not the one to show you such things."

Feeling like she wasn't going to get anywhere if she pressed this topic further, Diana switched gears. "I'm sorry if I have offended you. That was not my intention."

_The word earnest used to be slang for gay back in the day (18th-19th century I think but I'm not sure) therefore when Diana asks if Lotte can earnestly help Diana ( Diana uses it as a way to say that unlike the other characters will Lotte be honest and genuine and help her) Lotte takes it as Diana wants her help in being gay. Thus she points out only Akko can help Diana with that, and that Diana only wants Akko to do those things to her._

Chapter Three-  _Almost all the conversations in the chapter between the characters_

"Have either of you seen Akko? She has brown rabbit ears and a little nose."

The two girls exchanged looks at this before giggling together. "Oh, you've fallen down the  **rabbit hole,** " said Hannah, smiling as if she knew something Diana did not.

"With  **Akko,** " finished Barbara, also smug about the hidden context.

"Yes, and?" Diana arched a brow not seeing how this was funny or relevant.

"That is not our concern," Hannah explained.

"You took the fall, and you must stand tall."

"With your choices," Hannah clarified.

_Falling into a rabbit hole is a phrase associated with becoming so deeply involved with something that it's hard to get out of it. And that's how Diana's feelings are for Akko- there is no way to really stop her from crushing on Akko. It was inevitable._

"Why were they like that?" Diana asked, slightly hurt and worried for her friends behaviors.

"People are always like that even if we don't see it. Are you truly surprised  **they can be mean, when you yourself were no better?** " Chariot answered with in a pleasant voice.

Diana felt guilt hit her at this when she recalled how she had used to  **be rude to Akko like this in the beginning of the school year.**  And her friends had been rude too and she had done nothing to dissuade their behaviors.

"Is that why Akko keeps running away from me?" Was perhaps Akko avoiding her and the mushroom search was just an excuse? But Akko had seemed fine prior to all this, feathers unruffled by Diana's earlier rudeness in the early stages of their encounters. Diana had even apologized and Akko accepted, assuring with one of her brilliant and heart stopping smiles that everything was okay between them.

"I cannot answer a question you already have an answer to, little one," the butterfly said with slight amusement.

"What do you mean-?"

But Diana didn't get a chance to finish, for a huge shadow had covered her. When she looked up she saw a bird was hovering over them, clearly having marked them as a tasty snack.

" **I'm afraid the life of pest is very short** , and thus I must ask you to reconsider using me as a ride and take a different path. Perhaps honesty will suit you more."

"Wait-!" Diana started but then the butterfly descended rapidly downwards, making her teeth clack together painfully as she held on for dear life. Once it landed, she got off on trembling feet. "Chariot-" she turned to beg the butterfly not to leave her. She was worried for it. She didn't want it to face that bird alone, yet she knew it would because Chariot was brave and self sacrificing, and Diana hated that yet loved that about her childhood hero. But she had to begrudgingly give up the notion that any of these beings, although they wore familiar faces, were actually the people she knew and loved and cared for. Was anyone here, besides her and Akko, actually someone she knew? Or were they all false? And if so, what was the point of them wearing her friends faces?

"Just around that bend is the path you must take. Hurry. If you want to reach Akko, then you must take it. If you do not, then you will lose your only chance at getting to her. Remember,  **honesty and bravery will reach her heart more than anything else.** " With those cryptic words, Chariot rose up once more and zoomed off into the skies, the bird speeding right after her a second later.

_This whole conversation basically illustrates how Diana feels guilty for being mean to Akko and Chariot, who is now in butterfly form which highlights how Diana is gradually morphing and coming closer to her own self, tells her that if Diana continues to be nice, and to be brave and honest, she will be able to reach Akko. For the whole chasing of Akko symbolizes Diana trying to reach her feelings for Akko. Additionally Chariot explains that the life of a pest, both a bug and someone whose annoying, is short lived for no one likes a person like that, therefore Diana has to be nicer._

"Cat," she barked out, in mild annoyance and relief that maybe someone else would give her some hints as to the course of action she should take.

"It's Cheshire cat," Sucy corrected haughtily. "How would you like it if I only called you by half a name? Dia is not as nice as Diana is, is it now?  **Half a name only makes you half a person and you are already only half as it is."**

"Excuse me?" Diana asked not at all rudely. "I am half a person you say?" she came to a stop at this, throwing her head back so she could look more closely at the cat's infuriatingly wide grin.

"Once you would have been just one, but now you are a **half because you lack something you need but do not know you need,** " Sucy grinned as she twisted onto her back to scratch an itch along the bark.

"And what is it that I need?" Diana was a bit curious to the cat's words. It seemed she needed some soul searching. That she was lacking something and she sorely wanted to improve on that, never hesitant to improve her shortcomings. But did she really or was it just another ploy by the cat to distract her from her main mission?

Sucy shrugged. "Why am I supposed to know?"

_Again, what the cat mentions that Diana is missing is the realization and acceptance of the fact that she likes Akko. And when Sucy says she doesn't know about that part of Diana, that is true, because Diana has kept it such a tight secret that no one but her knows for sure, even if other characters like Lotte and Chariot/Ursula have some suspicion._

Chapter Four-  _The Mad Hatter and Diana_

"I've forgotten how things could once be  **straight,"**  Amanda said, a small frown gracing her lips. She picked up a spoon that was slightly bent, just like all the utensils here. "Everything has been bent out of shape because times have changed. Even my watch."

_Another slight comment about Diana once being straight and now she no longer is because things have changed._

Chapter Five-  _The Talk with Akko_

When the last traces of them left, **Diana was ready to exit the closet** and find a path out of the castle and back to those mushroom woods where she could find a way back to the regular part of the woods.

"Let's go," Diana blindly reached for Akko's hand, when she felt two strong hands on her shoulders.

" **I'm not ready to leave yet.**  I cannot come out with you." Her voice sounded almost like she was pleading.

"Akko, do not worry, I will protect you."

"I do not doubt you will. But  _I_  cannot protect you. I do not feel ready yet. Or strong enough."

Really, this was not the time for Akko to grow timid. "Akko-"

"Let's take a different path." The pressure on Diana's shoulders grew and she found herself being pushed to what she assumed was the back of the closet, an even darker if possible, part of the furniture. The dark was thick here and heavy. It felt oddly sticky here. It was like it was...wet?

_Feel like this snippet is pretty obvious-both are in a closet, hiding their true sexuality and Akko is afraid to admit to it, because somewhere in the back of Diana's head she knows Akko likes her but that part of her brain is repressed and held back because she's afraid of the info._

_Also Andrew is an antagonist in this story because Diana feels like she has to compete with him for Akko's affections._

Chapter Six-  _The Battle_

"Change..." whispered a voice on the breeze and Diana noticed it came from the empty discarded shell of a cocoon that no doubt belonged to the caterpillar.

"The life of a petty insect is short," another voice said and Diana could see the shadow of the Chariot butterfly hovering over her but when she looked up nothing was there.

"Illusions...don't break our illusion. Don't break  _your_  illusion," Hannah and Barbara said in unison, standing with their hands clasped together, eyeing Diana from the sidelines.

"Don't listen to them, Diana. Be honest. Or else you will lose yourself," Lotte encouraged.

"Can anyone be trusted? Whose voice can you listen to?" Sucy's words floated off to the right.

_In the last chapter, the characters are all giving advice to Diana on what she should do. The only characters against her are Hannah and Barbara who tell Diana not to break the 'illusion' or the lies over the truth that Diana has put to cover up the truth. This is because they don't want to lose their friend and Diana is most worried about what they will think of her when the illusion is broken._

_Another side note, most of the characters are fellow students with the exception of Croix and Chariot, because Diana often has trouble understanding and relating to her peers. Thus, in Wonderland none of her conversations with them really make much sense. And the two teachers Croix and Chariot as also the two teachers she really does not understand either, because one is Chariot, her idol, and the other a villain._

**Author's Note:**

> The idea just sort of popped into my head. It's an Alice in Wonderland story with a Little Witch Academia spin on, and I thought the two went perfectly together as I could see this sort of weird adventure something that the girls would get wrapped up in thanks to Akko.
> 
> Just as a heads up there is going to be a lot of symbolism in this story, and hidden meaning in the text. It's basically one giant metaphor for something Diana has to figure about herself.


End file.
